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cMCH
T'OR u 40

A NEW PLAN

TORONTO

PREPARED FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION BY
THE CITY OF TORONTO PLANNING BOARD 1966

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Members of City Council

City of Toronto Planning Board

Mayor his worship, philip g. givens, q.c.
Controllers william dennison

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Control
and President of City Council
HERBERT ORLIFFE, Q.C.

WILLIAM L. ARCHER, Q.C.

MRS. MARGARET CAMPBELL, Q.C.

Aldermen Frederick j. beavis

OSCAR T. SIGSWORTH
B. MICHAEL GRAYSON, Q.C.

MRS. JUNE MARKS

CHARLES L. CACCIA
MRS. HELEN M. JOHNSTON
DAVID ROTENBERG, B.A.
HORACE BROWN
JOSEPH J. PICCININNI
HAROLD MENZIES
HUGH J. BRUCE
KEN DEAR

MRS. MARY TEMPLE
BEN GRYS

THOMAS A. WARDLE

Honourable Chairman his worship, philip g. givens, q.c.
Chairman j. d. crashley
Mayor’s Alternate

and Vice-Chairman controller william l. archer, q
Vice-Chairman w. barry coutts
Members w. H. clark
r. v. DOTY
A. EDINBOROUGH
M. J. KELLY
DR. J. W. KUCHEREPA
A. MAIN
L. A. OXLEY

ALDERMAN JOSEPH J. PICCININNI
ALDERMAN MRS. MARY TEMPLE
MRS. G. S. VICKERS

Acknowledgment

MRS. ALICE SUMMERVILLE
PAUL B. PICKETT
KENNETH OSTRANDER

In formulating the policies suggested in these proposals for a
new plan for Toronto, the City of Toronto Planning Board
gratefully acknowledges the assistance it has received. During
the preparation of the report close liaison was maintained with
many individuals and organizations as well as civic departments
and officials at other levels of government. Their comments
and suggestions have been invaluable.

While acknowledging the assistance given in many ways by
many individuals, the City of Toronto Planning Board
accepts full responsibility for all statements and
recommendations in the report.

Proposals for

a New Plan for Toronto

PREPARED FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION BY THE CITY OF TORONTO PLANNING BOARD 1966

Chairman’s Statement

Toronto is going through a period of dramatic change. In the
years ahead the role of the City as the heart of a growing
region, as a national and international centre, will be more
and more pronounced. There will be extensive building and
rebuilding to adapt to this changing role to create the new
accommodation we need and to improve the older areas.

All of this presents us with a tremendous opportunity to
make Toronto a truly fine city, one that is worthy of its people
and its destiny. A plan is necessary, setting out how the needs
can be met and the goals for the City realized. With this as a
guide, everyone — citizen, businessman, developer and
government — can then work together to achieve the finer
City we all hope to see.

The City of Toronto Planning Board, in fulfillment of its
responsibilities under the Planning Act, has studied the
situation and prepared a series of proposals which it believes
will be valuable in developing a new plan. These proposals
are outlined in this report which the Planning Board is now
distributing widely. We want you to read it, to understand the
proposals and let us have your comments and suggestions,
whether you agree with the proposals or have other ideas to
advance. We will hold public meetings and after there has
been full discussion we will recommend an Official Plan to

City Council. Council, after considering our recommen¬
dations, will decide on the Official Plan it will adopt and
submit it to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for his approval.

The Official Plan for the City of Toronto will set out a
concept of the future City, together with the policies,
objectives and programmes to be followed to achieve it.

It must recognize the evolving role of the City and set out the
best plan for its future growth fully integrating development
and transportation. It must provide for the City operating
effectively, accommodating all essential activities. It must
protect and enhance the best existing features of the City and
provide for the revitalization of the deteriorating areas.
Proposals must be advanced for overcoming deficiencies,
capitalizing on assets and seizing opportunities to the greatest
advantage of the City.

With this new Official Plan as a guide we can all work
together in developing our City. It will need modification
from time to time as circumstances change, but should be
adhered to as the basis of future growth. It should help us
achieve the greater City that we know Toronto can be.

J. DOUGLAS CRASHLEY
Chairman

Mayor’s Statement

This is our City — yours and mine. It is growing and changing
rapidly. We must retain the best of what we have, providing
stability, particularly for residential areas. We want to see
new development channeled so as to make Toronto an even
better City, a place that will be a pleasure to work in, worthy
of its role as a national and international centre, a City of
which we can all be proud.

The City Planning Board has studied the issues it believes
will be most important over the next twenty years and has
prepared proposals to guide the City’s development up to
1981. These are outlined in this report.

It is most important that we arrive at a sound plan at this
time, since this will chart our progress during the vital years
ahead. I urge you to read these proposals and comment on
them. Out of them, and the discussion that follows, a
submission will be made to City Council and I hope that we
will arrive at the best possible plan for the future of our City.

PHILIP G. GIVENS, Q.C.,
Mayor

This Report

THIS REPORT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PLAN

This report has been prepared by the City of Toronto

Planning Board:

• to set out city-wide issues that must be dealt with
in an Official Plan for the City,

• to present recommendations and proposed plans
and programmes for dealing with them.

The Planning Board will hold public meetings:

• to get citizen reaction to these proposals,

• to obtain suggestions and recommendations,

• to assist the Board in drafting the recommended
Official Plan which will then be submitted to
City Council.

City Council will receive the recommended Official

Plan submitted by the Planning Board and will:

• have the opportunity to consider and make
revisions in the Plan presented,

• adopt the revised Official Plan,

• submit the adopted Official Plan to the
Minister of Municipal Affairs.

The Minister will receive the Plan submitted by City

Council and will:

• review the Plan and request changes as desired,

• approve the Plan which will then become the legal
Official Plan for the City of Toronto under the
Planning Act.

The City Official Plan will have two major parts:

• the first part will present the issues and the
proposed plans, policies and programmes. It will
be a guide to citizen and Council-member alike of
the common goals which are being sought.

• the second part will set out the specific policies
adopted by City Council. It will constitute the legal
Official Plan, and will be binding on City Council.

Subsequent to the adoption of the City Official Plan

it will be augmented by :

• District Plans,

o Local Plans and Projects.

Since the City is part of Metropolitan Toronto
there must be no conflict between the plans of the
two municipalities. Outstanding issues are
discussed in the hope of arriving at a satisfactory
solution.

This report sets out the City of Toronto Planning

Board’s proposals for development to 1981 in the

following chapters:

A New Plan for Toronto

The Plan

Residential Areas

Commerce

Industry

Major Parks and the Waterfront

Education, Research and the Arts

Transportation

The Quality of the City

Implementation of the Plan

A New Plan for Toronto

Toronto is growing and changing dra¬
matically. Houses make way for apart¬
ments, office buildings climb ever higher,
suburbs thrust outwards, subways and ex¬
pressways are continuously under con¬
struction. By the turn of the century there
will be twice as many people in Metropoli¬
tan Toronto as there are now, and the
population within fifty miles will rise from
3 to 7 million, going on to 10 million and
more therafter.

There will be a vast amount of new
development and massive redevelopment.
We must plan to seize this great potential
and channel it intelligently, to produce a
really fine city that will work well and be

a source of pride and pleasure to its citi¬
zens. Unless this happens, Toronto could
become another megalopolitan chaos, an
asphalt jungle, a prison for its people. We
face a tremendous challenge, a great re¬
sponsibility and a wonderful opportunity.

The City of Toronto must bear the
brunt of growth and change. It is the hub
of the region and must house business,
shopping, entertainment, government and
all the other things needed there. The city
centre is thriving and vital. Many people,
especially young adults, will be drawn to
live near it. Everyone, throughout the
region, should be able to reach it easily.

New development must take place

among the old. New buildings can add
vitality to their surroundings, even though
they occupy only modest areas. Older
districts must be preserved and improved.
The total City, old and new, must be as
fine as we can make it.

We must have a good plan and we must
consistently support it. It must be realistic
and practical as well as challenging. It
must take account of all that can be fore¬
seen, recognize the City’s increasing im¬
portance and the fact that people expect
more of it.

Many people make a city. If they are at
odds, the result is bound to be chaotic.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

The plan is a guide to all of them; to the
Citv, to other governments, to those who
wish to build and to those who wish to
keep their property. It promises stability
in manv areas coupled with change where
needed and the opportunity for initiative.
If everyone works to the same plan their
combined efforts can achieve the greater
City they all desire.

The Official Plan

When a plan has been worked out by the
Planning Board, has been officially
adopted by City Council and approved by
the Minister of Municipal Affairs of On¬
tario, it becomes an “Official Plan”. It is
anticipated that the officially-adopted and
legally binding part of the Official Plan
will contain the statement of City Council’s
plans, policies, programmes, and objec-

We must preserve and enhance the best of
our older low density districts, rehabili¬
tation IN THE ANNEX PLANNING DISTRICT.

Many people, especially young adults,
will be drawn to live in the City.

fives. The remainder, which explains the
reasons for these, will be adopted “for
information”.

After adoption the Plan governs the
City’s actions in public works, such as
road, sewer or renewal programmes, and
in guiding private development through
zoning by-laws and other controls.

The plans and policies of Metropolitan
Toronto, and other governments, affect
the City and have to be taken into account.
But if the City’s interests call for a dif¬
ferent solution to a particular problem,
such as an expressway or subway align¬
ment, this also has to be stated.

There is an existing City Official Plan
that was adopted in 1950. It is now out of
date in many ways and it is proposed to
make a number of substantial revisions
that will result in a new Official Plan.

This will consist of a General Plan for
the entire City plus a series of more de¬
tailed District Plans. Because of its size
and complexity the City as been divided
into Planning Districts. For some of these,
the Annex. Rosedale, Deer Park, Eglinton,
the Don and Downtown, plans have al¬
ready been prepared; others are in prep¬
aration. Because of the rapid rate of
change plans should be reviewed about
every five years.

This present report concerns the Gen¬
eral Plan, the key part of the City’s Official
Plan. When it has been circulated and dis¬
cussed the Planning Board will make its
recommendations to City Council. Council
will then decide what it will adopt for sub¬
mission to the Minister. It is intended to
achieve the widest public understanding
of the proposals so that there can be the
greatest support for the Plan adopted.

Has

* *
i %

f T 1

HI 1

The plan must provide for the changing population. It must ensure the continued vitality
of the City centre for entertainment and other activities.

New development must take place in harmony with those sound older buildings which are
to remain. The new can compliment the old. the lijnbaan, Rotterdam.

The Plan

Toronto

The city is the people.’ The people serve
the city, enabling it to grow and prosper.
The city, guided by the city fathers, must
serve its people well, enabling them to lead
a civilized, constructive life.

The City of Toronto must see to the
needs of its own citizens, their shelter,

sustenance, education, recreation and
work, and the quality of the surroundings
in which they lead their daily lives. But it
is also the centre for people of the sur¬
rounding region, providing them with all
the business, cultural, shopping and other
services that belong in a great city. To play
its part, the City must be well endowed in

all these fields. To serve its people, its
facilities must be easy for everyone to
reach.

Toronto has tremendous potential. One
third of the purchasing power of all of
Canada is within 100 miles of the Down¬
town area. This provides a firm foundation
for Toronto’s prosperous, diversified in-

T0RONTO IN THE REGION

OWEN

SOUND

BARRIE

PETERBOROUGH

OSHAWA

CANADA

X. ■

~ U.S.A.-

TORONTO

.GUELPH

WATERLOO

KITCHENER

OAKVILLE

MONTREAL

SUDBURY

WOOlDSTOCK

HAMILTON

OTTAWA

LOh0
Hu ron

Nk-CATHARINESl

NIAGARA-

^.FALLS

BOSTON'

BRANTFORD

LONDON

TORONTO

NIAGARA FALLS

BUFFALO

WELLANtf

FLINT

ST. THOMAS

BUFFALO

TOLE

ITTSBURGH

’PHILADELPHIA

BALTIMORE

WASHINGTON I

The proposals in this report arc not final until approved by City Council

TORONTO IN THE METROPOLITAN
TORONTO PLANNING AREA

THEORETICAL DIAGRAM OF CITIES
IN A LARGE URBAN REGION

Population

CITY

METRO

Source Dominion Bureau of Statistics and Metro
and City Planning Boord projections.

The population of the City will increase by
more than 40,000, while in Metropolitan
Toronto there will be close to 3,000,000
persons in 1981 and 7 ,000,000 by the turn
of the century.

Employment 1 960

CITY

METRO

/////

/ C / /

* O' /i* ^ g cocy

Source Dominion Bureau of Statistics

While manufacturing employment contin¬
ues to be very large in Metro Toronto, the
service industries are increasing in im¬
portance.

dustry and strong support for its business
and financial community.

But the City is the centre for administra¬
tion and decision-making throughout a
much larger area: it is a national and inter¬
national centre of trade and commerce. In
many ways it is this fact, that it is a stra¬
tegic centre for business and government,
that gives Toronto its singular character,
unlike other cities that are based on nat¬
ural resources, particular industries, trans¬
portation or climate. Because of this, the
success of Toronto depends particularly
heavily on its people. They must have in-

1 he orderly growth of a large urban region
requires integrated planning of transpor¬
tation and development. At the regional
scale, the commuter train provides fast
convenient access from city centres within
the region, particularly to the central city,
reducing the need for expressways.

THEORETICAL DIAGRAM OF MAJOR
CENTRES AND THE LOCAL TRANS¬
PORTATION NETWORK IN A CITY

aSSey

Main Road
Subway
Mojor Ctntre

High Density Concentration
Urban Area
Central Areo

Within the densely populated urban area
the subway and the arterial road play the
same roles as the commuter railway and
expressway at the regional level. Develop¬
ment is centred on the subway system and
the whole focused on the central area.

telligence, enterprise and ability if the city
is to thrive and keep pace in all its en¬
deavours with the rapidly changing society
around it. As its people prosper, so shall
Toronto.

To give its people every opportunity of
developing to their full potential Toronto
must provide first-class facilities for edu¬
cation and technical training, for research,
for discussion and the exchange of ideas.
To draw and hold the people it needs,
people who can make a valuable contribu¬
tion to its prosperity, Toronto must be
an interesting, attractive and stimulating
place to live and work in. As it depends
on people, so must it nurture them. The
Plan establishes this direction as an
economic necessity, not just a fine ideal:
it is a direction that must be established in
any Plan.

Growth

Toronto has grown rapidly since its foun¬
dation. The site was chosen by Governor
Simcoe because it had a good harbour and
could be defended, but it was as a provin¬
cial capital that it soon gained importance.
The role of government was far-reaching,
and alongside it a business, industrial and
financial community soon grew up. To¬
ronto was on its way to dominating the
economy of Upper Canada, and the prov¬
inces that opened up to the west.

Transportation played its part. Early
roads were built out from the harbour and
helped develop trade, government and
defense. Railways brought a dramatic
change, accelerating the growth of To¬
ronto as the centre of the region. The rise
of the motor vehicle has resulted in people
and industry gradually spreading outwards
as congestion increased in the expanding
City. The whole region is developing, with
the growth of many smaller cities as well
as Toronto.

The rate of growth is tremendous and
has the most far-reaching implications. We
must think not just of the almost 3 million
people around Toronto by 1981, but of
the 7 million in the region by the turn of
the century, the 10 million and more
shortly thereafter. Not only must we ac¬
commodate all this growth, we must also
rebuild much of what we have. It is es¬
sential to grasp the full significance of this
vast scale of development. It is for this
that we are now laying the foundations.

The opportunity is obvious: with this
scale and rate of building and rebuilding
we can shape a fine community in the fore¬
seeable future. The responsibility is equally
obvious: with such huge investment and
sweeping change inevitable we must guide
it wisely and not just let it happen hap¬
hazardly, jeopardizing the prospects of
Toronto and its region.

Regional Organization

A choice must now be made as to how this
region will grow. Will it grow haphazardly,
with a continuously increasing reliance on
automobiles, or can a pattern of orderly
growth be established, with development
focused on mass transit so that reliance on
cars is reduced?

If houses, shopping and industry are
spread out over wide areas more travel
will be needed, public transit will be un¬
economic, and people will be forced to
use their cars to get around. Traffic con¬
gestion will be severe and life in the city'
will be under the tyranny of the automo¬
bile. This situation would be cause enough
to question unlimited sprawl. But there are
many other reasons. The greater the
spread, the more people are immersed in
it, divorced from the countryside and the

THEORETICAL DIAGRAM OF A CENTRAL CITY-THE TWO LAYERS OF
TRANSPORTATION

\ ■

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION

CITY TRANSPORTATION

Expressway

•

Major Centre

Commuter Railwoy

▲

Transfer Road to

Subway

Main Road

Subway

♦

Transfer Railway to

Subway

In the central city of a large urban region the regional and local transportation networks
are superimposed on one another , both focusing on the central area. The two networks
must be fully integrated for maximum efficiency. Provision for transfers where express¬
ways cross rapid transit lets motorists use transit to reach the city centre and reduces
congestion. Most major centres are focused on the local transportation network.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF TRANSPORTATION
AND DEVELOPMENT IN TORONTO

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION

CITY TRANSPORTATION

Expresswoy
■ ■■■■ Crosstown
4' ■+ 1 Commuter Roilwoy

- Main Rood

f t ♦ ♦ ♦ Subway

Major Centre

Tronefer Rood to Subwoy

Transfer Railway to Subway

Although the actual layout in Toronto appears different, the same principles as in the
theoretical diagram of a central city apply.

city centre alike. New highways and serv¬
ices have to be built through the existing
city to accommodate the sprawling

growth. This is difficult, costly and un¬
satisfactory: inevitably expedient decisions
are made in response to urgent needs.

resulting in a patch-work of compromises.

Integrated planning of development and
mass transit would free people of the
tyranny of the automobile and lay the
foundations for the orderly growth of the
region as a civilized, efficient place to live
and work. This fact is being recognized in
Toronto by the focusing of development
around subway stations. In the region, the
equivalent of the subway would be a high¬
speed long-distance mass transit service,
such as a commuter train system. A good,
attractive service is essential and develop¬
ment must be focused around the stations
so that people will find it convenient.

At selected stations could be the shop¬
ping centres and around them apartments
and residential areas, industries and insti¬
tutions, all served by a bus system focus¬
ing on the station and the centre. With the
scale of development foreseen there could
even be a series of new cities in the region.
This new concept would be based on inte¬
grated planning of transportation and
development.

The commuter train lines should run
from city centre to city centre, and partic¬
ularly to Downtown Toronto, the centre
of the region. They would take the heavi¬
est traffic, reducing the need for express¬
ways. These would still be required for
commercial and industrial traffic, and all
the other trips that can not readily be
handled by transit, but the need would be
reduced, particularly in those key areas
where traffic is heaviest and attempts to
accommodate growth over the years will
be most difficult. The demand for parking
in these areas would also be minimized.

There is already an excellent system of
rail lines to serve as the basis of a com¬
muter train system. The capacity of these
lines can be increased over the years as the
region grows, an essential element of
flexibility.

Commuter trains would provide easy
access to the centre of Toronto. This is a
strong regional centre: excellent access is
necessary if it is to continue to flourish
and to develop all the variaty and excite¬
ment it should have. People must be able
reach it easily for business or pleasure.

A region that grew in this way, with a
series of cities, including Toronto, linked
together by commuter trains, would work
well and give people a welcome choice of
places to live. Rather than having to
tolerate the outskirts of an overgrown,
sprawling Toronto, they could have a
choice of cities with easy access. The
cities could be varied in size and character
with green belts between them. Their inner
areas would offer many of the advantages
of central Toronto, relieving pressure on
that area. The creation of definite centres
at the commuter stations would be of
great advantage to businessmen deciding

The proposals in this report are not tinal until approved by City Council

Freeway

Macdonald - Cartier

Lawre nee

FOREST HILL

Eglinton

City Limit

St. Clair

Davenport

Crosstown Expwy

B loor

SWANSEA

College

Queen

Front

e Shore

Q t ion

Highwoy 403

Queensway

Elizabeth Way

Queen

PREDOMINANT LAND USES

Low Density Residential
mH High Density Residential
^jHUmi Commercial

District Commercial
Office Commercial
Industrial

| Institutional ond Government
Open Space

TRANS PORTATION

Expressways
Crosstown Expresswoy
Arterial Road

i i i i i h- Rapid Transit

| I I '■+ Possible Commuter Rail

{ j { =4 Other Roil

▲ Transfer Points from Rail

or Expressway to Transit

General City Plan

THE GENERAL CITY PLAN

The General Plan is a map that shows the broad distribution of the major
elements in the City as planned for 1981. Boundaries and alignments are
approximate and designed to convey the relationship between the different
elements. Greater detail will be shown in District Plans.

The uses indicated are the predominant ones for the areas shown. Small
areas are not shown, e.g. local parks in residential areas or small pockets of
industry among housing.

GENERALLY THE TERMS MEAN:

Low Density Residential

predominantly family housing with an overall floor area ratio* up to 1,
plus a bonus in selected areas.

High Density Residential

predominantly apartments with an overall floor area ratio of 2 in most areas,
2.5 in central areas, plus a bonus in many cases. The bonus in central areas
may bring the floor area ratio up to 4.375 if certain conditions are met. In
other areas it w'ould bring the floor area ratio of 2 up to a maximum of 2.5
and of 2.5 up to a maximum of 3.0. In three areas inducements to better
standards would be achieved without entailing the acquisition of large sites.

Commercial

predominantly intensive shopping, offices and other commercial and service
uses. Floor area ratios vary from 5 to 9 with bonuses up to VS additional in
selected areas. May include residential and institutional.

District Commercial

predominantly shopping but may include offices, services and other com¬
mercial uses as well as residential and institutional. Mostly moderate density
areas with floor area ratio of 3: a few up to 5 in key locations.

Office Commercial

predominantly offices but may include shopping, services and other com¬
mercial uses. High density in central area (floor area ratio of 9 with bonus
to 12 under certain conditions), lower densities (3 to 7) elsewhere. May also
include institutional and residential.

Industrial

predominantly industrial including manufacturing, warehousing and whole¬
saling, but may include commercial to serve the industries and certain insti¬
tutions. Mostly floor area ratio of 3 to 5, but higher in a few areas close to
the city centre. Some existing pockets of housing may remain.

Institutional and Government

major groups of government offices and major institutions such as the
University, Technological Institute and hospitals. Floor area ratios mostly
2 to 5.

Open Space

major public parks and private open spaces.

building floor area

♦Floor area ratio : the ratio of

lot area

where to locate. The existence of true city
centres would help create distinct com¬
munities, serve the residents and give them
the chance to enjoy their own city centre
as well as Downtown Toronto. The indi¬
vidual could be a citizen of his own city
and of the region.

City Organization

As in the region, integrated planning of

transportation and development must be
the rule in the City. The same principles
should apply. The subway is the equiva¬
lent, at the city level, of the commuter
train at the regional level and the main
road is the equivalent of the expressway.

Concentrations of business, shopping
and apartments would be around selected
subway stations where there are also good
roads. People would find it convenient to

use transit wherever possible, relieving the
pressure on streets and parking. A pleas¬
ant, reasonably-priced service with con¬
venient stations would encourage maxi¬
mum use of the subway.

A good bus service should bring people
from the surrounding areas of homes, in¬
dustries, parks and other activities to the
subway stations. Surface transit would also
interconnect areas not accessible to each
other by rapid transit. Local centres as well
as Downtown, would be easily reached.

This is a clear, logical and practical plan
for Toronto. People could see that de¬
velopment was concentrated where it
made sense, and they would have the as¬
surance of knowing where major changes
were likely and where they were not. In¬
vestment would be encouraged, both in the
new concentrations of development and in
the stable areas of homes.

Complete integration of the regional
transportation system (commuter trains
and expressways) with the local system
(subways and main roads) is essential if
they are to work as they should. Drivers
heading Downtown must be encouraged
to park and take the subway whenever
possible. Rail commuters should be able
to transfer to subway to get to their desti¬
nations. This will only work if the system
is built so that it is easy, pleasant and ad¬
vantageous for people to make the transfer
at the right place.

The General City Plan

CENTRAL TORONTO

The strong business and financial core is
at the heart of Downtown, growing more
intensive over the years ahead. Around it
and extending north to the Yorkville
District*, centered on the Bay-Bloor-
Yonge area, is the concentration of major
regional services. Government, hospitals
and the University form a particularly
handsome, large and expanding area to the
west: churches, a hospital and an enlarged
polytechnical institute form a smaller,
less continuous grouping on the east side:
in the centre is the great and growing
shopping concentration, extending from
the enlarged Downtown market place,
with its great department stores and wide
variety of other shops, up Yonge St. to the
Bloor and Yorkville specialty centre.
Throughout this area are many other ac¬
tivities that fulfil Toronto’s role as a re¬
gional, national and international centre:
entertainment on Yonge St.; drama and
the performing arts centred on the St.

♦Yorkville District is the whole of the area from
College Street north to the C.P.R. tracks and from
University Avenue to Jarvis Street. Yorkville Vil¬
lage is within it.

PLANNING DISTRICTS

District Plans have been completed for a number of areas. Others are being prepared.

Lawrence Centre but also in a number of
other locations; national or regional of¬
fices of many voluntary organizations,
particularly around the University or on
Jarvis St., company offices and sales out¬
lets, from the largest and most impressive,
located in Downtown, and on Bloor, to
the smallest located in many buildings
through the whole area, particularly to the
north of Downtown. Easily recognized
groupings, such as the City Hall area, the
St. Lawrence Centre, the King and Bay
area, Queen’s Park, and the Grange
Centre, will make many of the most im¬
portant activities evident to residents of
the region and visitors from elsewhere.

On either side of Downtown is the main
concentration of service industry, shading
off into the extensive Harbour industrial
district. Around the entire central area are
large groups of apartments at high densi¬
ties. These will provide convenient housing
close to the centre of the City for many
people who work there. Apartments will
also be built at many locations within the
business area.

TRANSPORTATION

This central area is the focus of the major
transportation systems, both the regional
expressways and commuter train lines and
the main roads and subways serving To¬
ronto. The Gardiner Expressway, the Don
Valley Parkway, Spadina Expressway,
and the Highway 400 Extension alongside
the railway tracks, will give excellent high¬
way access, particularly to the lower part
of the central area. The Crosstown
Expressway should not be built unless it
can be demonstrated that its benefits sub¬
stantially outweigh the damage it would
cause and that the money would not be
better spent on expanding the public
transit system.

A commuter train service would give all
cities in the region good service to Down¬
town Toronto. Lines would radiate from
a new transportation terminal in the vicin¬
ity of Union Station, which would serve
not only for commuter and other passen¬
ger trains but also for air lines and long
distance buses. Its location between Down¬
town and the Gardiner Expressway makes

it an ideal place also for commuter park¬
ing, and the subway service would let
people travel easily into the city.

Good subway access to the city centre
requires a Queen St. line in addition to the
Yonge, University and Bloor-Danforth
lines and their extensions. The Spadina
line, starting from the MacDonald-Cartier
Freeway in the north, will have to continue
to Downtown by a route that will accom¬
modate present and future traffic and con¬
tribute to the City’s growth. This could
best be achieved by coming down Bathurst
to the Queen St. line.

A continuation of the Bathurst/Spadina
line from Queen to the transportation ter¬
minal would provide an alternative route
into Downtown. It would also provide an
excellent service to any development over
the railway tracks and to the Canadian
National Exhibition, which would be par¬
ticularly important if this is to become a
year-round attraction. A branch line could
give easy access to the Islands.

Main roads in the city must accommo¬
date a great deal of local movement. The

The proposals in (his report are not final until approved by City Council.

Low Density Residentiol

High Density Residential

Shopping and General Commercial

Downtown

Retail Centre

Office Sub-Centres
Institutional and Government
Industrial
Open Space

Kingston

TORONTO 1966

Predominant Land Uses

Gerrord

FOREST HILL

Eglinton

St. Cloir

The present pattern of land uses reflects the influence of the railways on the location of industry and of the streetcar on the commercial
areas and Downtown.

pattern must remain essentially as it is but
it should be reviewed to see what improve¬
ments can be made that will help these
streets work better and add to their ap¬
pearance as handsome arteries. Residen¬
tial streets must be protected from through
traffic and the areas enhanced as places to
live.

Every effort should be made to ensure
that there is easy access to all parts of the
city centre by transit and road. Priority
must be given to those who are there to
take part in its activities. Through traffic
should be channeled onto perimeter roads
and commuters should park outside the
area. To improve street capacity, off-street
loading must be provided in major build¬
ings and, since construction is continuously
taking place, delivery of building materials
should be controlled, either off the street
or at off hours.

Parking is needed where motorists can
leave expressways and transfer to transit.
It should also be provided in commercial
areas and on the periphery of Downtown.

COMMERCIAL CENTRES

Business centres are concentrated on the
subway routes. Outside Downtown and
Yorkville the main office centres are at
Eglinton and St. Clair on Yonge. Minor
centres at Bathurst and Bloor and at Pape
and Danforth will mostly house profes¬
sional offices serving the west and east
ends of the City.

The great regional shopping centre is in
the heart of the City, at Queen and Yonge.
Bloor and Yorkville is the major specialty
centre. Throughout the City a number of
district centres provide convenient shop¬
ping for their areas. Generally, though not
always, these are on subway lines near
major intersections. To strengthen these
centres, providing better opportunities for
the merchants and better shopping for the
customers, it is necessary to consolidate
them, provide better parking and improve
their efficiency where possible.

APARTMENT CONCENTRATIONS

Apartments also are concentrated on the

subway lines and around major centres.
Almost half are around and within the
central area. The Yonge Street groupings
at St. Clair, Davisville and Eglinton will
continue to grow. New concentrations will
be added on Bloor-Danforth at Bathurst
and Greenwood, in addition to the ones
now developing at Keele, Dufferin and
Broadview. The Queen subway will serve
South Parkdale and be of assistance to the
apartment developments at Spadina, Par¬
liament and Woodbine. Concentrating
apartment development into a limited
number of selected locations and consoli¬
dating existing apartment areas gives
apartment dwellers the maximum oppor¬
tunity to use the subway and also reinforce
the shopping centres, helping to make them
stronger, more important and more inter¬
esting features of the City. Integrated
planning will be needed to achieve the
maximum benefits.

AREAS OF FAMILY HOUSING

These centres of apartment and shopping
concentration, placed as they are on the

The success of Toronto depends upon its people. To draw and hold the people it needs , the City must be interesting, attractive and
stimulating.

transportation network, provide the focal
points in the City. But around them are
the extensive tributary areas. Here are the
homes of most of Toronto’s residents,
particularly the families with children, in
areas ranging from the spacious, tree-lined
streets of Rosedale and Lawrence Park to
the compact areas of West Toronto. All of
these must be protected, improved and
provided with better schools, parks and
other facilities to ensure that they remain
places where people can have good homes
in pleasant surroundings.

Major population changes can be ex¬
pected. As in the rest of Canada the high
birth-rate since the war, contrasted with
the low birth-rate before it, is producing a
rapid upsurge in the number of older chil¬
dren and young adults. Toronto will get
more than its share because they are drawn
to the City.

The result will be a strong demand for
apartments, which suit young adults, as
well as family homes. The apartments can
be provided in the locations already men¬
tioned. Family housing will mostly be in
existing houses which will be at a premium
since the demand will be rising at the same
time as the supply is being reduced. It will
be all the more important to protect and
improve residential areas.

It will not be possible to produce within
the City all the houses that might be
needed by its residents and those who
would like to live there. The number of
houses cannot be significantly increased.
The existing stock will be taken over more
and more by those who can best afford it,
institutions as well as individuals. Those
families that have lower incomes will have
the greatest difficulty in finding housing
near the centre of the city, except where
public housing is provided.

It will be essential to build most of the
housing for lower income families in outer
areas, outside the City of Toronto. This
will fit in with the general expansion of
the area. If new towns are established on
the commuter train lines this will be an
excellent opportunity to locate new hous¬
ing with good access to the centre of
Toronto.

EDUCATION

The increase in children and young adults
will also create the need for more schools
and colleges. By 1981 elementary school
enrolment will increase by one-quarter
over 1961 while high school enrolment
will double and higher education will more
than double. Sites will be hard to find and
the needs of education must be given high
priority in considering the possible use of
any land that becomes available.

Higher education is expected to follow
three courses: university, polytechnical in¬
stitute, and community college. The Uni¬
versity of Toronto will progressively be¬
come more advanced, serving a very valu¬
able role in Toronto. It will be less able to
cope with the growing need for under¬
graduate education and a new undergradu¬
ate college will be needed for this purpose.
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute is expected
to expand sufficiently to accommodate the
growing demands placed on it. Com¬
munity colleges will have to be established
to meet the need for this kind of education.

All of these will have to meet the need
for continuing adult education, especially
in the Downtown area, as well as their
regular student enrolment.

PARKS AND RECREATION

Major parks are very limited, much below
the desirable minimum, and the position

will become worse as population grows. It
will be difficult to increase them substan¬
tially within the City. Those Toronto has
must be used to the full to offset this de¬
ficiency as much as possible. The lake-
shore and the ravines form the major parks
system. They can be extended and im¬
proved to make them fine features of the
City, parks that many people will enjoy.
Additional recreation facilities must be
provided and the programme of active rec¬
reation expanded and intensified to meet
the needs of a -changed population with
greater leisure time.

INDUSTRY

Industry occupies two large tracts, both at
the confluence of major transportation
facilities. The Harbour area, including
lands north to Queen Street is intensively
used but a programme of modernization
and improvement is needed in certain
parts, as well as the construction of new
multi-storey buildings to house expanding
industries. Filling into the Lake will permit
harbour expansion as necessary and the
creation of an industrial estate. The Junc¬
tion area will also need some moderniza¬
tion and the improvement of highway ac¬
cess, which can be provided with the
construction of the Highway 400 exten¬
sion.

Toronto is at the cross-roads. It must go
on to become a great city, well-organized
through integrated planning, handsome
and exhilarating, a true international cen¬
tre and a source of pride to its people. It
must not be allowed to grow uncontrolled,
becoming vaster, more congested and
chaotic, a megalopolitan monster.

The Plan presented is a practical one.
Its positive concept of integrated planning
can be accomplished if the City accepts the

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

challenge. Much will have to be done and
new means will have to be found to do it,
but the Plan provides a framework within
which everyone, public and private, can
achieve the maximum results through
working towards a common goal. It offers
a firm foundation for building the future
City.

The opportunity is tremendous; the re¬
sponsibility is great. People now, their chil¬
dren, and generations yet to come will
want to know what decisions were made
about their city, what effort there was to
make it truly great. Toronto is in the mak¬
ing; it is for the City and its people to
decide the Plan to which it will be made.

The reputation of Bloor Street and the Yorkville Village for high quality shops attracts
visitors from the entire continent.

People should be offered a wide variety of dwelling types. One alternative is the high rise
apartment near the City centre.

Another form of dwelling is the single
family unit. In future, it will be all the
more important to protect and improve
the sound, older residential areas of the
City.

Residential Areas

The Background

The growth of Toronto from quite a
small city at the end of the 19th Century
to its present size took place in a number
of surges, interrupted by two world wars.
By the end of the Second World War
Toronto was on the brink of a major ex¬

pansion which swept the City boundaries
far into the suburban municipalities.

In 1945 the City was mainly an area of
private residences set on shady tree-lined
streets. Apartments were not significant.
Those which did exist were scattered and
for the most part small in size. From 1955

to 1 964 there was a net increase of nearly
20,000 apartments units in the City. The
new buildings are a conspicuous part of
the landscape. In 1957 new zoning stand¬
ards were established to regulate the lo¬
cation and density of apartments, and to
require adequate provision of parking,

THE GROWTH OF TORONTO

Lowrence

1930

Do venport

Donforth

Gerrord

Toronto has grown by a series of annexations. The central core has remained the focus of activities since the incorporation of the C ity.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

Toronto is a city of private homes situated on attractive tree-lined streets. Definite policies
must be adopted to protect the stability and special character of these neighbourhoods.

set-backs and landscaped open space.

But Toronto remains essentially a city of
private houses in attractive residential
neighbourhoods. The quality of the houses
corresponds closely to the stages of the
City’s growth when they were built. The
suburbs of the twenties — Rosedale, North
Toronto, large parts of the east and west
ends of the City — are pleasant, attractive
areas with sound, often large, houses. They
are now enjoying an influx of younger
families, generally quite well-to-do, who
are attracted by the large houses and the
convenience. West and east of the central
area, built up in the early part of the cen¬
tury, most of the houses are sound and
well-kept, the streets attractive, providing
good accommodation for people of moder¬
ate income. In these districts there are
areas where different immigrant groups
predominate. But the inner part of the
City, bounded on the north roughly by
College and Carlton Streets, and on the
south by the long arc of railway lines from
Lansdowne to Logan Avenues, was built
up in the nineteenth century. While most
of the houses provide reasonable accom¬
modation and even, in places, very pleas¬
ant homes, there are also many which are
not acceptable. A start has already been
made in Regent Park, Moss Park, Alex¬
andra Park and Napier Place, on replacing
the worst of them with new public housing
and improving the remainder.

Prospects: Population, Households,
Housing

Toronto in the Sixties and Seventies will
feel the impact of the high birth rate since
the war. Children of this period are now
growing up. The City is an attractive place
for them, offering a wide variety of accom¬
modation, entertainment and job oppor¬
tunity. Toronto may undergo an increase
in population because of this.

However, lack of accommodation will
limit the increase. Residential land will be
reduced by the demands of roads, offices,
institutions, etc. to serve the burgeoning
Metropolitan area. There is also the need
to provide more space for schools, parks,
roads, etc., to serve any increase in popu¬
lation, particularly children.

Projections have been made of the
“natural” increase to 1981, i.e. the way
the population of the City would grow if
there were no restraints on it, and of poten¬
tial capacity of the City. The “natural”
growth could reach 738,000, but the capa¬
city will be only 715,000. The 1961 popu¬
lation was 672,000.

Not only will the population be larger;
its age distribution will be substantially
different. The proportion in each age
category will undergo change from the
youngest to the oldest. The proportion of
children under 15, of adults 25 to 44, and

the elderly, 65 and over, will be roughly
the same in 1981 as in 1961. The propor-

POPULATION 1834 to 1 981

Source; Dominion Bureau of Statistics and
City of Toronto Planning Board projections.

By 1941 , Toronto had reached a saturation
point as a city of single family houses. A
shift to apartments will increase the popu¬
lation by 40,000 between 1961 and 1981 .

CHANGE IN AGE STRUCTURE
1951 to 1981

675,800 672,400 715,000

Source : Dominion Bureau of Statistics ond
City of Toronto Planning Board projections.

The numbers of those in their late teens
and early twenties will increase substan¬
tially.

tion in the late teens and early twenties
will be much higher and the proportion in
the middle years lower.

Housing needs depend on both house¬
holds and families. A family consists of a
husband and wife with or without unmar¬
ried children. A household consists of one
or more persons occupying the same
dwelling. If every person were in a family
and each family occupied a separate dwel¬
ling, families and households would be
equal. A household may be smaller than
a family, e.g., a single person living alone,
or larger, e.g., a family with a boarder.
Significant changes are anticipated in fam¬
ily and household structure by 1981. An
increase in average family size is foreseen.
There will be more single people, particu¬
larly the group under 25 living indepen¬
dently.

In households, the main increases will
be in those of one, two and three persons.
The remainder will decline or show moder¬
ate gains, except for the very large house¬
holds, which include the institutional pop¬
ulation.

Apartment building accounts for the
continuing growth of the number of one
and two-person households and marks an
improvement in accommodation for those
people, but a trend toward doubling-up of
families is indicated for those with two or
three children. Many of the doubled-up
families are likely to be those living at or
below poverty levels. The obvious answer
is to provide low-rental housing. But the
total need cannot be met in the City alone
since the amount of residential land is de¬
clining and only a limited number of
people can be housed without making liv¬
ing conditions intolerable. Low-rental
housing must also be built outside the City.

Objectives and Principles

The objective of civic policy for housing is
to improve the quality of life for every resi-

NUMBER AND SIZE OF FAMILIES

Families With and Without Children
1951 1961 1981

□ a ■

Single Persons

Size of Families

170 - -

Average Number
of Persons
per Family

Single 23456789
Persons per Fomily

Source: Dominion Bureau of Statistics and
City of Toronto Plonning Board projections

There will he more single persons under
25 living independently and fewer families
without children.

dent by ensuring that residential areas are
pleasant, attractive, free from congestion
and features incompatible with good living
conditions, and provided with adequate
community facilities.

Residential areas fall into three broad
categories. In Areas of Private Redevelop¬
ment, high density building will be limited

SIZE OF HOUSEHOLDS

1951 1961 1981

m m m

Persons per Household

Source: Dominion Bureou of Statistics and
City of Toronto Planning Board projections.

One and two person households will in¬
crease dramatically.

to those locations where apartments are
presently allowed, to areas which are being
expanded to consolidate existing develop¬
ment, and to the few new areas designated
in the Plan. In Areas of Stability, which
are the balance of the residential areas
other than areas of Private Redevelopment
or Improvement Areas, little or no change
is planned: more exact boundaries for
stable areas will be designated in district
and other plans. In Improvement Areas
public action will be required to bring
about satisfactory conditions. Each type of
area will require a clear policy.

Areas of Stability

Those areas of the City which will remain
substantially unchanged cannot just be
ignored. Definite policies must be pursued
to protect them from intrusions which
would detract from their character and
reduce their stability. Positive steps will be
needed to ensure that adequate municipal
housekeeping is maintained and that com¬
munity facilities are provided to a standard
which will retain them as good places for
family living. When specific areas of stabil¬
ity have been designated, the area should
be regarded as inviolate, and a firm com¬
mitment made that no basic changes
through zoning or other public action
which is not of keeping with the character
of the area will be allowed for a period of
10 years.

Most stable areas will be zoned in a
category suitable for family living. The
most spacious, lowest density areas of
homes will generally have a floor area
ratio* of 0.35 (Zone 1) but most areas will
be zoned with a floor area ratio of 0.6
(Zone 2). Several areas of compact devel¬
opment will have a floor area ratio of 1 .0
(Zone 3).

*Floor area ratio: the ratio of

building floor area
lot area

The pressures on residential areas will
be severe. In excess of 20,000 dwelling
units will be eliminated, some to apartment
construction, but an equal amount to ex¬
pressways, schools, parks, etc. It is clear
that the present stock of 105,000 sound
houses, both old and new, represents a
most valuable asset which must be pro¬
tected. A variety of factors may contribute
to the deterioration of an area of perfectly
sound houses. Among the more serious
problems the following can be cited:

(a) Increased traffic passing through resi¬
dential areas;

(b) Lack of compliance with building,
occupancy and maintenance standards;

(d) Speculative land assembly may dis¬
courage proper upkeep and weaken the
confidence of residents in the future of
the area;

(e) Lack of adequate provision for car
parking;

(f) Failure to maintain municipal house¬
keeping, roads, sidewalks, tree plant¬
ing, etc.;

(g) Failure to eliminate objectionable non-
conforming uses.

The basic requirements for maintaining
the quality of an area are stability and
confidence.

Unless residents have the assurance of
continued stability they will be loath to
improve or even maintain the soundness
and appearance of their properties. Uncer¬
tainty about future plans for redevelop¬
ment, expressways, subways, etc. is unset¬
tling. Precise information on known routes
and timings should be as definite as pos¬
sible. When these are known, decisions
and definite plans for the areas affected
must be announced very shortly thereafter.

The enforcement of prescribed stand¬
ards of occupancy and maintenance are
an essential part of any programme. There
is a continuing need for a periodic and
regular review of building codes to ensure
adequate standards for the future. Also
steps necessary to deal with special prob¬
lems, such as control of termites, must be
undertaken vigorously.

The conversion of dwellings to increase
their accommodation may help relieve the
pressure on housing and encourage reno¬
vation. Care must be taken to see that this
is done only where all standards have been
met and where the added numbers will not
result in reduced levels of service, recrea¬
tion and parking for the balance of the
neighbourhood.

Plans and programmes must be pre¬
pared and funds continuously provided to
ensure that there is regular repair of
streets, sidewalks and lanes, garbage col¬
lection and street cleaning, up-dating of
street lighting and wiring, replacement of

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council

Egllnton

SWANSEA

$t' rurd

Front

RESIDENTIAL USES

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

FOREST HILL

St. Cloir

8loor

Kingston

■^^^^Donforth

Gerrord

High Density - Existing Areos for Development
High Density - Areos not Subject to Bonus
High Density - Areos Proposed for Development
Improvement Areos

NOTE ; Apartments may be built in certain designated commercial
orsas, ond in csrtoin low density areas within the
limitation of low density. These oreas ore not shown.

Apartment areas are at selected points on the subway and close to main intersections. Low density areas remain substantially unchanged.

trees and renewal of street furniture. The
replanning of traffic patterns should elimi¬
nate through traffic in residential areas as
far as possible, and solutions should be
sought to parking problems.

The standards for parks should be ad¬
hered to for each stable area. Where inap¬
propriate non-conforming uses are situated
in stable residential areas they should be
relocated. A continuous programme
should be followed to achieve this. Powers
of expropriation should be used for these
latter purposes if necessary.

While confidence, good maintenance on
the part of the City, and the ready availa¬
bility of information and advice on reno¬
vation. can help retain the quality and
attractiveness of residential neighbour¬
hoods, other steps are needed. The City
can encourage renovation by seeking legis¬
lation to withold tax increases resulting
from renovations. In other cases long¬
term. low interest loans can be arranged.
Whatever steps are taken, the return to the
City is ensured. The alternative involves

urban renewal, dislocation, added costs,
lower standards of living, overcrowding
or worse.

Areas of Private Redevelopment

Private redevelopment will provide apart¬
ments and townhouses. Projections of pop¬
ulation and building trends indicate that
about 62,000 new dwelling units will be
provided in this way between 1961 and
1981. The net gain will be about 40,000
units. The losses have been outlined in the
previous section. To provide space for this
development, and to be prepared for the
dislocation in services, community facili¬
ties and people which will be involved, the
City must establish locations, phasing of
rezoning, standards of development and
firm policies well in advance of develop¬
ment.

Locations should meet several criteria.
New apartment areas should support the
structural concept in the Plan for the City.
They should be around subway stations

and adjoining main roads. They should be
close to existing and planned centres of
shopping, recreation and community life.
Proximity to the central area is particularly
desirable. There must be adequate serv¬
ices. Open space, views and similar
special features should be considered. If
circumstances are suitable, apartments can
replace obsolescent buildings and other
uneconomic, deteriorated or improperly
located properties provided they do not
themselves suffer from unsightly or obnox¬
ious surroundings. In all this it is implied
that the selection of new locations will not
adversely affect the surrounding area,
either physically or aesthetically, and that
there will be adequate protection for stable
areas of homes. Sites which are satisfac¬
tory on all other counts may be excluded
on this basis.

Areas proposed for high density devel¬
opment are located at major interchange
points on the transportation network, both
existing and projected. In some instances

PROJECTED CHANGES IN
HOUSING STOCK 1961 to 1981

Number of Units

xxx'"

Totol 215,000

It will take an average of 3,100 apartments
a year to meet the needs of the City’s pop¬
ulation. Construction from 1961 to 1965
has been slightly below the projection , but
it is expected to catch up by the end of
1967. Over the next 10 years, to 1976,
allowance should be made for the building
of an average of 4,000 units per year so
that the construction industry will have
scope to expand. Actual development will
be reviewed before the end of 1971 and
any necessary adjustments made at that
time.

Percentage Distribution

o- 52%

Single ond Multiple Homes

1961 1981

Sourc* : City of Toronto Plonning Board

The growth from 33,000 to 95,000 apart¬
ments will mean an increase from 64,000
to 178,000 apartment dwellers, a rise from
9.5% to 25% of the City population. In
1961 , 377 acres or 4.7% of all residential
land in the City wa.v occupied by apart¬
ment buildings. By 1981 this will have in¬
creased to about 930 acres or 12.4%.

Some areas contain dwellings which are
no longer satisfactory. Some of these will
eventually be replaced by private redevel¬
opment.

they represent a consolidation of an exist¬
ing area, in a limited number of others,
new development. Within the designated
areas, rezoning will not be automatic for
the lands which are not already zoned for
high density development. Rezoning will
be considered only where a scheme is
presented which fits into a pattern of
orderly development of the area. Priority
will be given to those areas, such as South
Parkdale, where continued development
could be used to help rectify existing diffi¬
cult situations. A degree of flexibility and
freedom of choice must be allowed. The
fact that not all the sites in a zoned area
may be developable must also be con¬
sidered. Therefore, a limited amount of
land in excess of that actually to be used
should be available for development in
each period.

It is estimated that at the beginning of
1966 there was sufficient land zoned or
recommended for rezoning to permit
about 64,000 additional apartments at the
proposed densities, including bonuses in
the areas where these are applicable. In
fact, detailed examination of the sites indi¬
cates that about 51,000 units can readily
be built on these lands. The balance, some
1 3,000 units, is unlikely to be built because
the sites are not entirely suitable for a
variety of reasons. These figures do not
include apartments that can be built in
lower density areas (Zone 2 or Zone 3) or
in commercial areas, except where specific
projects are known. There could be as

High density redevelopment will be lo¬
cated near subway stations and adjoining
main roads. Tall, free-standing apartment
buildings set in landscaped grounds will be
encouraged.

many as 10,000 apartment units built in
commercial areas in the central part of
the City.

The land now available for apartment
development, with the additional locations
shown in this Plan, is sufficient to accom¬
modate 77,000 new apartment units on
sites that can readily be developed. The
sites could actually hold 93,000 units but
1 5,000 of these are judged to be not suit¬
able for development. The sites available
for 77,000 units are ample to take the
40,000 for which allowance has been made
over the next 10 years, and still provide a
reserve of sites and a choice of location at
anv one time.

In light of this, it is unlikely that any
further designation of land for high den¬
sity development will be considered for
10 years, but a full review of the projected
demand for apartment sites should be
made before the end of that period.

Residential standards must be main¬
tained and individual apartment projects
carefully scrutinized to ensure the best
possible development of each area. Out¬
side the central area the density should
generally be limited to a floor area ratio
of 2 (Zone 4), plus bonus up to a maxi¬
mum, where appropriate. In the central
area it should generally be 2.5 (Zone 5)
plus bonus up to 3.0 maximum. In the
central business area including the streets
bounded by Front, Jarvis, Bloor and Uni¬
versity Avenue, bonuses may permit floor
space to go up to 4.375 times lot area in

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

APARTMENT SITE CAPACITIES

Capacities of Available Sites to December 1965

APARTMENT SITE CAPACITIES

Capacities of All Sites Included in Residential Areas Map June 1966

CAPACITY OF SITES
IN DWELLING UNITS

f Total Capacity of Sites

Capacity of Readily
• loptd Sites

DISTRIBUTION OF READILY
DEVELOPED SITES

Source: City of Toronto Planning Board

CAPACITY OF SITES
IN DWELLING UNITS

| Total Capocity of Sites

□ Capacity of Readily
Developed Sites

Source: City of Toronto Planning Boord

Not all sites can be readily developed in areas designated for

presence of existing

The distribution of apartment sites reflects the anticipated de¬
mand in different sections of the City. 47% are in and around
the central area, 23% are to the north, 17% to the west, and
13% to the east.

apartment development because of the
buildings and isolated lots.

certain cases. Some lower density (Zone 3)
areas will also be redeveloped. Here the
basic floor area ratio of 1 may be increased
by bonus to 1.35 where appropriate.

The zoning standards as a whole encour¬
age the erection of tall, free-standing apart¬
ment buildings set in landscaped grounds,
or mixtures of large buildings with row
housing. The greatest possible integration
of projects in each area should be sought
to achieve the best overall development
possible.

There are three areas designated for
high density development in which it is
intended that a high standard of develop¬
ment should occur without encouragement
of large-scale building on big sites. These
are in the Annex, along Avenue Road at
St. Clair and on Eglinton Avenue east of
Mt. Pleasant. Special stipulations must be
included in the zoning by-laws applicable
to these three areas to permit bonusing for
landscaped open space above the mini¬
mum limit of 50 per cent, without the
necessity of assembling a large site, and to
require that minimal surface parking be
permitted. None of the other bonus pro¬
visions normally provided for the assembly
of large sites would apply.

Improvement Areas and Public Housing

This section deals with those residential
areas in which extensive public action,
going beyond ordinary municipal “house¬
keeping” and attention to a few individual
properties, is needed to bring living condi¬
tions up to an acceptable level.

The study entitled “Urban Renewal, A
study of the City of Toronto, 1956” pro¬
vided a basis for future renewal and im¬

provement projects. The Moss Park and
Alexandra Park projects were developed
from it.

A continuing programme of projects
has now been developed in the report
“Improvement Programme for Residen¬
tial Areas, 1965”. It is the City’s policy

that projects will be undertaken at the
rate of two or three a year, with a view to
completing the entire programme by
1 980. These projects will be developed in
collaboration with the Federal, Provincial
and Metropolitan governments. The pro¬
gramme will be reviewed from time to

Private redevelopment will provide, beside apartments, townhouses similar to those in
North York, yorkwoods village and don valley woods.

POOR HOUSING

RIVERDALE 1

SPADINA

GORE VALE

RIVERDALE 2

GRANGE PARK

NIAGARA

DUKE - DUCHESS

HARBOUR 1

TRINITY

DON 1

HARBOUR 2

DUFFERIN 2

DON 2

HARBOUR 3

DUFFERIN 1

DON 3

ALEXANDRA PARK

JUNCTION

DOWNTOWN

KENSINGTON

MARLBOROUGH

IMPROVEMENT AREAS

Public action is required to ensure a continuing programme to bring living conditions up to an acceptable level across the older areas.

time. The Metropolitan Planning Board
has conducted an Urban Renewal Study
of the Metropolitan area. When it is pub¬
lished the City’s “Improvement Pro¬
gramme” will be re-examined.

In 1961 the City had 113,000 residen¬
tial buildings containing 173,000 dwelling
units. Of these, 26,500 dwelling units, or
15% were built before 1900 and 94,400,
or 55%, were constructed before 1920. In
the ten-year period, 1951 to 1961, some
13,600 dwelling units were demolished.
Allowing for demolition and new con¬
struction, it is anticipated that in 1981
some 69,000 dwelling units, or 31% of
the total at that time, will survive from
before 1920, being by then more than
sixty years old.

In 1961 more than 4,700 residential
buildings, or 4% of the total, accommo¬
dating 24,000 persons, were in poor con¬
dition. Two-thirds of these were within
the area bounded by College-Carlton
Streets, the Don Valley, Gerrard Street
and the sweep of the railway tracks from
Lansdowne to Logan Avenues. This area
contains about 1 5,000 houses, mostly in
fair condition; but it requires far more
demolition and rebuilding than do areas
further out. The band beyond the central

area is in fairly good condition but no
longer new, while the outer area is com¬
paratively new.

The central area, where houses are
poorest, also has most social problems.
Here income is lowest, unemployment
highest and overcrowding the greatest.
Crime and sickness rates are higher than
for the rest of the City. A comparatively
large part of the population is made up
of single people, 20% compared with the
City-wide average of 14.5%. The average
net residential density of the central area
is very high, nearly 150 persons per acre.

The “Improvement Programme for
Residential Areas” takes in this part of
the City. Individual projects will be
worked out to eliminate existing prob¬
lems and make the project areas sound
for many years to come. Proposals will
be in accordance with the Official Plan,
and may include public housing. In these
projects, private development will be en¬
couraged to participate.

As much public housing as possible
should be built in improvement projects,
subject to the paramount requirement of
achieving living conditions that will be
satisfactory over the years ahead. Public
housing should be carefully designed to

fit into its surroundings and avoid being
too conspicuous, and should be provided
with the necessary community facilities,
such as shops and playgrounds. In some
cases public housing may be built on sites
vacated by industry.

Substantial aid is available to the City
from the Federal, Provincial and Metro¬
politan governments to carry out the Im¬
provement Programme, and similar pro¬
jects in industrial and commercial areas.
It is the intention that this aid be used to
achieve overall improvement of the City
and that adequate studies, plans, pro¬
grammes and policies will be called for
before grants are given. Therefore, a
thorough process of planning and prepara¬
tion, together with an adequate organiza¬
tion and programme of implementation,
will be necessary to take full advantage of
the assistance now available from the
senior governments.

Services and Facilities for
Residential Areas

EDUCATION

Population changes have an impact not
only on housing, but also on all the serv¬
ices and facilities needed by city-dwellers.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved hy City Council.

SCHOOL NEEDS

Forecast of Enrolment 1961 1981

Source Respective School Boards and

City of Toronto Planning Board projections

New schools will have to be built and
others expanded to meet population
change, both in the number of school
children and their future educational
needs.

The greatest impact of the City’s popula¬
tion changes between 1961 and 1981 will
be in the field of education. Elementary
school pupils will increase by about 20%
and secondary pupils will almost double.
About 500 new elementary classrooms
and close to 900 new secondary class¬
rooms will be required. In addition to the
great expense of building, there will also
be the serious problem of providing sites
for new schools and for the expansion
of existing ones — an estimated total of
125 acres to 1981.

On the whole this demand will not arise
from the new apartment buildings, which
have few children of school age in rela¬
tion to the number of dwellings, but in the
older, stable areas, as middle-aged and
elderly residents are replaced by younger
and much larger families. The use of
existing school grounds can only be in¬
tensified to a limited extent without harm¬
ing the satisfactory operation of the
schools. New school sites must be given
high priority in considering the use of
available land. The search for sites must

be part of the attempt to achieve the best
use of all land. For example, a new school,
instead of eliminating a number of per¬
fectly sound and usable houses, might re¬
place a pocket of poor dwellings, an intru¬
sive industry, or a group of declining
shops.

PARKS AND RECREATION

There is a serious shortage of parks to
serve the residents of the City and a major
effort will be needed to bring them up to
minimum standards. There are now 2,295
acres of parkland within the City all told,
including City parks, Metro parks and
private recreation areas. This comes to
only 3.4 acres per thousand people. The
standard in the proposed Metropolitan
Official Plan is 7.5 acres per thousand, a
low level compared to the widely-accepted
figure of 10 acres per thousand. Recogniz¬
ing that these standards are impracticable
in the inner built-up areas, City Council
has adopted a standard of 4.6 acres per
thousand as being the minimum that can
provide a reasonable service and one that
is reasonably possible to establish as an

PARK DEFICIENCIES 1966 J

Eglinton

Other Open Space

Residential Areas more than
1/4 Mile from a Park

Danforth

Bioor

Gtrrord

Corlton

Gerrord

** 1

Serious deficiencies of parkland exist in many areas. New policies on street closings in apartment areas can help overcome local problems.

objective. The City should now have
3,100 acres to meet this standard and by
1981 this should rise to almost 3,300 acres
as the population increases. The present
overall deficiency is 800 acres and it will
rise to 1,000 acres unless cut down by
acquisitions.

The total park provision is made up of
regional, district and local parks. The
proposed Metropolitan standards are re¬
spectively 5, 1 Va and 114, for a total of
IV2 acres per thousand. The City stand¬
ards are 3.2, 0.5 and 0.9 respectively, for
a total of 4.6 acres per thousand. The dis¬
trict parks, which provide playing fields,
recreation centres and other facilities for
major segments of the City, and the local
parks, which provide convenient small
parks and playgrounds close to the home,
are the most urgent need. Taking them to¬
gether there should be 940 acres in the
City now, rising to 1,010 acres by 1981. If
it is assumed that regional parks also serve
as local and district parks for people liv¬
ing near enough, the City now needs 300
acres more than it has in order to reach
the minimum level in these categories.
Some areas of the City are seriously defi¬
cient in parks. Many people in the inner
part of the City, particularly in the west-
central area, have little or no parkland
within easy reach. Every effort should be
made to help them.

The ravines and Eastern Beaches offer
excellent opportunities to obtain addi¬
tional regional parklands. They will in no
way compensate for the serious shortage
of local and district parks but will still be
of great value. The proposed Metropoli¬
tan Official Plan calls for Metropolitan
Toronto to achieve a standard of 5 acres
of regional parkland per thousand popu¬
lation. These additions will still leave them
well short of this target within the City,
and the Metropolitan Corporation should
be urged to do what it can to reach this
goal.

The balance of local parks required to
achieve the standard and overcome local
deficiencies can be provided to some ex¬
tent in conjunction with apartment devel¬
opment. Where appropriate, closed streets
could be exchanged for public park, or a
levy could be charged to enable the City
to provide the park that will be needed.
Detailed proposals can be made in district
appraisals, improvement programme pro¬
jects and in individual rezoning applica¬
tions for large-scale private development.

Because of the changes in population,
particularly in the number of young adults
and teen-agers, it will be extremely im¬
portant to expand the facilities and inten¬
sity the active recreation programme to
meet the new needs.

WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE

The responsibility for water supply and

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION IN THE
OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The City to adopt the objective that the quality of life be improved for
every resident. Residential areas to be pleasant, attractive, free from conges¬
tion and features incompatible with good living conditions, and provided with
adequate community facilities.

2. All residential areas not designated for high density residential or other
uses, to be areas of stability and no basic changes to be made through zoning
or other public action which is out of keeping with the character of the area
for a period of 10 years. Boundaries of designated high density and other uses
to be delineated in district and other plans.

3. Zoning, building occupancy and maintenance standards by-laws to be
enforced, traffic through residential areas to be restricted, provision made for
off-street parking, prohibition and gradual elimination of unsuitable uses, and
the maintenance of a high level of municipal housekeeping, adequate parks
and municipal services.

4. Advice and assistance in the improvement and maintenance of private
dwellings to be provided to homeowners.

5. Methods of encouraging improvement and maintenance of buildings in
residential areas to be investigated, including legislative changes to allow the
use of temporary tax incentives and other schemes.

6. A continuing improvement programme of public action to be carried out in
conjunction with senior levels of government to bring living conditions up to
an acceptable level in those areas which require extensive public action, and to
provide public housing within the City to the extent determined by studies.
Where appropriate in carrying out the public purpose, private development to
be encouraged to participate.

7. Within residential areas all those uses of land which are normally found in
residential districts such as parks, playgrounds, schools, churches, etc. to be
regulated by by-law so that they will be of a type and standard suitable to the
character of the area.

8. Areas of high density residential development to be as designated in the
General City Plan and in locations which: support the structural concept of the
Plan for the City; are around selected subway stations and adjoining main
roads; are close to existing and planned centres of shopping, recreation and
community life; preferably are close to the central area; are provided with
adequate services; have open space, views and similar services; if suitable,
replace obsolescent buildings and other uneconomic, deteriorated or im¬
properly located properties provided they do not themselves suffer from un¬
sightly or obnoxious surroundings; and in which the selection of locations
will not adversely affect the surrounding area, either physically or aesthetically,
and that there will be adequate protection for stable areas of homes.

9. Applications for approval of apartment projects in designated areas, where
revisions in the zoning by-law are required, to be scrutinized to ensure the best
possible development in conformity with defined zoning standards and plan¬
ning objectives for high density development.

10. Integration of projects in each designated area to be sought to achieve the
best possible overall development.

11. High standards of development to be encouraged through bonuses in ac¬
cordance with prescribed standards.

12. The allocation of high density sites to various areas of the City, as out¬
lined in Areas of Private Redevelopment, to be in accordance with: the antici¬
pated requirements for a 10-year period; the feasibility of developing the loca¬
tion shown in the General City Plan; the need to satisfy the preferences and
meet the needs of many kinds of families; the adequacy of utilities and muni¬
cipal services in different parts of the City; and the provision of parkland up to
the standards set out below.

13. District and local parks to be brought up to a standard of 1.4 acres per
1,000 population living beyond one-half mile of regional parks, and the pro¬
gramme of active recreation and leisure time activities expanded.

14. All residential development, especially at high densities, to be required to
provide landscaped open space.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

15. Metro to be encouraged to achieve a standard of 5 acres per 1,000 popu¬
lation in regional parks, including the provision of new parks to serve those
areas of the City which are beyond 3 miles from a regional park.

16. When land becomes available, and a change in use is being considered,
requirements for new school sites and the expansion of existing sites to be
given a high priority in the reuse of the land.

17. When new school sites are required, and where appropriate, new school
sites to replace pockets of substandard housing, isolated industry, obsolete or
deteriorated commercial space.

18. W here new school buildings are built on or adjoining a district or local
park, the designated school yard not to be considered as public park, and the
amount of public park remaining after construction to be not less than existed

before.

19. Construction of new sewers to eliminate problems of flooding and lake
and river pollution and to provide the services required in the designated areas
of development, in accordance w ith the programme adopted by City Council,
to be given high priority, and installed in the designated area before new
buildings are occupied.

20. Services provided for the benefit of people, such as libraries, district health
units, welfare services, nursery and day care centres, to be located close to
those whom they are to serve, in district centres or other centres of commun¬
ity activity.

21. Services provided for the benefit and protection of people and property,
such as fire protection and works yards, to be located to serve the special re¬
quirements of these services and so as to minimize interference with residen¬
tial areas.

sewerage is divided between the City and
Metropolitan Toronto. The Metropolitan
Corporation has jurisdiction over the pro¬
duction, treatment and storage of water,
and over the pumping stations and trunk
mains which distribute it over the whole
Metropolitan area, while the City is re¬
sponsible for the local distribution system
which carries water to individual proper¬
ties. At present there are no serious prob¬
lems of water supply in the City and there
is no reason to expect long-term develop¬
ment problems to arise from difficulties of
water supply and distribution, although
the present system may require reinforce¬
ment in places. The system should also be
studied to determine the need for a long¬
term programme of improvement.

In the case of sewage disposal the posi¬
tion is different. Combined sewers, carry¬
ing both storm water and sanitary sewage,
are overloaded in many areas, resulting in
flooding during heavy rainstorms and lake
pollution due to overflow. The construc¬
tion of new storm sewers is therefore
essential and is a prerequisite for further
rebuilding of the City. The City is now
undertaking a long-term programme of
sewer construction* which will eliminate
the present problems and enable new
development to go ahead. The new sewers
must be installed before development can
be permitted in several areas.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

There are a number of other essential
services. These include libraries, district
health and welfare services, nursery and
day care centres, as well as fire protection,
garbage collection and other services
operating from works yards. Services pro¬
vided for the benefit of people, such as
libraries and health centres, must be
located close to those they serve. District
centres and other centres of community
activity are best for these purposes. Serv¬
ices to both people and property must be
placed where they can best serve their
purposes, but because of the traffic gener¬
ated, the buildings and yards should be
sited to minimize interference with resi¬
dential areas.

*Report on City of Toronto Sewer System,
Department of Public Works, September 1965.

7 he public school population will in¬
crease by 20% by 1981. High school
registration will nearly double in the same
period.

Commerce

Commerce in Toronto

Commerce is the fastest growing seg¬
ment of the Canadian economy. It in¬
cludes shopping, restaurants, recreation

and entertainment, offices, hotels, service
trades, automotive businesses, parking
lots, commercial schools, medical centres,
and similar enterprises. In the City of
Toronto those working in this field in¬

creased from about 50 percent of the
labour force in 1951 to over 60 percent in
1961.

Toronto is a headquarters city, a finan¬
cial and decision-making centre for its

Business facilities are important to the improvement of the quality of city life. Pleasant and efficient shopping areas at convenient locations
improve the surrounding areas and attract more customers.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

The construction of office space in Downtown Toronto will provide opportunities for
the creation of fine buildings and attractive open spaces. A new office building in

COPENHAGEN.

1111X0

The Yonge-Eglinton intersection will con¬
tinue to be one of Toronto’s prime office
locations.

rapidly growing region, for the Province
and for Canada. It is also a great shopping
and entertainment centre: people from
towns and cities throughout the region
throng its great department stores and
shopping centres. These roles will grow
over the years ahead.

Within Toronto, Downtown is the great
centre of commerce. It contains the very
large office buildings, the head offices of
banks, insurance companies and industry,
and the department stores. It is the major
focus of a multitude of activities. The
Yorkville centre, at Yonge and Bloor, is
also important, both as an office area
and a specialty shopping centre for the
region. St. Clair and Yonge is becoming a
significant area for company offices while
Eglinton and Yonge has grown into one
of the major office sub-centres. These sub¬
centres house certain groups of businesses
that have relocated from the Downtown
area.

The concentrations of commerce in the
main centres are readily apparent. But
everyday shopping and personal services
are widespread in district shopping centres,
commercial strips and scattered stores,
spread out close to the people they serve.

Downtown

Downtown is prosperous and building is
going ahead rapidly. Financial and busi¬
ness offices are clustered around King and
Bay Street and will remain so, with a
new and more impressive focus at the
centre. Corporate and prestige offices are
grouped on University Ave. and around
Toronto Street. These groupings will grow
and there will be others around the City

Hall and on the south side of Downtown.
By 1981 Downtown will show great
changes. The construction of some 12 mil¬
lion or more square feet of office space (a
net gain of about 8V2 million over 1961)
will give great opportunities for fine build¬
ing, the creation of open spaces, plazas,
footpaths and ornament, to help make the
city centre attractive, worthy of its im¬
portant role.

Downtown is the great, vital hub of
Toronto and its region. In the interests of
everyone it is imperative that it expand
and flourish, becoming a greater, finer,
more efficient, beautiful and exciting city
centre. Development must be channelled
to it, where business can be conducted
most effectively, and should not be al¬
lowed to draw off its vitality to other sites.

Shopping must be increased and re¬
vitalized, giving it a fresh air of quality,
variety and chic. A shopping trip Down¬
town should be a pleasure, a stimulus and
a satisfaction.

Entertainment must also grow and
diversify. The St. Lawrence Centre will
help achieve quality and choice, but night
clubs, theatres, private clubs and restau¬
rants will also be needed. Public features,
comparable to the skating rink on Nathan
Phillips Square, will be a great asset.

The many other elements that go to
make up Downtown will also grow and
should contribute to the general signi¬
ficance and vitality of the area. Clearer
identification of major functional centres
and new outstanding landmarks will help
people understand and enjoy Downtown,
a centre that they can regard as their own.

Access to all its parts must be easy and

clear. And inside Downtown people must
be able to walk freely from place to place,
across squares and through walks that are
handsome and interesting, separated from
vehicles as much as possible. An under¬
ground walkway system can be achieved.
It will be a valuable contribution to free
pedestrian circulation that must be well
done to achieve the necessary quality that
people will enjoy.

Integrated planning of all these fea¬
tures, together with transportation and
other needs, will provide the basis of
achieving a truly great city centre, match¬
ing up to the challenge to be of first-rank
international importance, worthy of all
who look to it and are served by it.

Yorkville

The Yorkville District, north from College
Street to the C.P.R. tracks, is not part of
Downtown Toronto but complements it,
providing specialty shopping, a major coft-
centration of insurance company head
offices, prestige office buildings and offices
for the Provincial Government.

An additional 4 million square feet of
office floor space, including expanded
business and government offices can be
expected in the Yorkville District by 1981,
a substantial part of it on Bloor Street be¬
tween Avenue Road and Jarvis Street.
Some could well be combined with stores
and apartments in mixed development.

Office Sub-Centres

Outside the central area are the two
major sub-centres on Yonge Street, one at
St. Clair and the other at Eglinton. The
St. Clair sub-centre is a prestige address

and several corporations have located
their head offices there. It is close enough
to the central area to be readily accessible
but far enough away to avoid serious con¬
gestion. It is in the middle of an attractive,
well-to-do residential area. About 1.6 mil¬
lion square feet of additional office space
is expected between 1961 and 1981.

The Yonge and Eglinton office centre is
the third largest in Metropolitan Toronto
(after Downtown and Yorkville). The sur¬
rounding area includes both a large apart¬
ment concentration and good homes. The
Yonge Street subway, combined with
good road access, makes this one of the
most accessible locations in the City. Since
1955, when the subway was opened, large
office buildings have been constructed
along Eglinton Avenue from Yonge to
Mount Pleasant Road. The district will
continue to be one of Toronto’s prime
locations for company offices and for pro¬
fessional and financial consultants, and
about 3 million square feet of office space
will be added between 1961 and 1981.

Only about 2.1 million square feet of

office space is likely to be built outside the
central core and the above sub-centres in
the years to 1981. Minor concentrations
are anticipated at Bloor and Bathurst and
at Danforth and Pape. These will mainly
house business and professional services
for their districts of the City. No other
significant centres are expected, despite
subway construction, since no other loca¬
tions have significant advantages. Nor are
any other centres required to serve the
office needs of Toronto. Future develop¬
ment should be channelled to the centres
already established: this will add most to
the business strength of the City.

Shopping Districts

In the past, shopping in Toronto has fol¬
lowed the growth of residential areas,
moving outward from the central core
along the major arterial roads. The street
car system allowed people to reach Down¬
town cheaply and quickly, supporting the
shopping centre and the department stores
at Queen and Yonge. It also stimulated the
growth of long strips of stores along the

major arteries, with concentrations at
nodal points, such as Queen and Bathurst,
Bloor and Bathurst, St. Clair and Vaughan
Road, Danforth and Pape, and others, like
beads along a string. The strips also met
the every day needs of nearby residents.
In some places small groups of stores grew
up off the main routes.

Shopping in Toronto can be recognized
as consisting of “corner” stores, isolated
shops which provide a variety of conven¬
ience goods, “neighbourhood” centres,
small groups which serve day-to-day needs,
and “district” centres which, in addition
to serving a wider area, offer less fre¬
quently purchased items and usually in¬
clude a major food chain store and a
variety store. There are also large, planned
shopping plazas serving a wide area.
Beyond these four levels are the major
shopping centres, Downtown, with its
department stores, and Yorkville, with its
specialty shopping, depending on cus¬
tomers who come from the whole region.

In practice the different types of shop¬
ping are not so clear-cut in the City: they

DISTRICT CENTRES 1981

District Centre

Residential Areas served
by District Centres

glinton

Downtown

NOTE : Symbols are not intended to show

exact location or extent of the centres

Danforth

Gerrard

Cqllige

Kingston

- -

G<rrard

Public policy should support the concentration of future commercial development at well-located points on the transportation network.
They must also serve areas beyond the City’s boundaries.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

Inside Downtown, people must be able to walk freely across squares and along paths,
separated from vehicles, constitution plaza, Hartford; town centre, Coventry; and

THE BARBICAN DEVELOPMENT, LONDON.

merge into each other geographically and
functionally. Except for Dufferin and
Rite-way Plazas, the centres mentioned
are not planned shopping plazas. They are
agglomerations that have evolved over
many years and continue to grow and
change. There are also the special purpose
centres of boutiques, car dealers, coffee¬
houses, entertainment, ethnic goods, fur¬
niture and appliance dealers, medical serv¬
ices, specialty food stores, and many
others. These cater to special needs for a
widespread clientele throughout Toronto
and play a vital role in the commercial
life of the City. They are located accord¬
ing to their highly specialized require¬
ments. Because of their importance the
City may undertake special actions to
assist them.

The Future of Shopping Districts

Shopping has changed in recent years.
People make major shopping trips, using
their cars. They look for a choice and
range of goods on these trips. For this
kind of shopping, planned shopping plazas
have many advantages over the older un¬
planned shopping strip. The change from
street cars to subways also tends to con¬
centrate shopping at subway stations, par¬
ticularly where apartments are grouped
around them.

It is necessary to adopt a policy of con¬
centrating shopping efficiently and attrac¬
tively, in keeping with the way that
development is to be concentrated in the
City. Coupled with this is the need to
reduce progressively, in accordance with
detailed studies, the strips that no longer

have an adequate market to serve, and to
help the merchants relocate in the grow¬
ing centres.

The centres which are best located to¬
day must be strengthened and developed
to meet the needs of the future, and the
concentrations of population which will
be brought about by high density residen¬
tial development. How this might be
accomplished is shown diagramatically on
the District Centres Map. The symbols
are not intended to convey the exact loca¬
tion or the extent of particular district
centres. They are shown at the major in¬
tersection of the subways and arterial
roads near the centre of each shopping
district. Where older shopping districts are
close together, or are serving small areas,
they have been combined to provide a
reasonable area on which a district centre
could be based. Because they serve the
whole district, these centres should not be
confined to shopping alone but should
provide a full range of community facili¬
ties for the area.

They should be supported not only by
zoning and other regulations, but also by
positive steps to encourage activity, in¬
crease efficiency and improve appearance.
For example, public and quasi-public
buildings should be built at these loca¬
tions, parking provided, transportation
focused at the centre, trees planted, wires
removed and buildings face-lifted. This
will require conscious effort to coordinate
the activities of a wide variety of
boards and committees, departments and
branches, both governmental and quasi-
governmental, as well as merchants,
owners and other private groups. Inte¬
grated planning will be called for to
achieve good results.

Each centre will have to be studied in¬
dividually and a plan worked out accord¬
ing to its needs. The Parking Authority
will provide parking in co-operation with
the merchants. The T.T.C. services should
be channelled to serve the centre. The
merchants themselves could undertake a
face-lifting programme to improve ap¬
pearance and integrate their stores with
any new development that is needed. The
City can protect the centre by zoning, but
it is even more important to ensure that
the plan for the centre is sound and fits in
with the surrounding area, and to make
the centre more prominent and attractive
by tree planting, better sidewalks, special
lighting, good street furniture and other
measures. The success of district centres
will increasingly depend on well-planned
concentrations at good locations, and the
City can be instrumental in bringing this
about. At the same time it must make sure
that competitive development does not
undermine the validity of these centres.
Any further strip development must be

curbed and the unlimited building of
shopping centres in industrial zones pre¬
vented.

Strip shopping which is likely to de¬
cline presents the most serious problem
to all concerned: tenants, owners and the
City. The building of new subways and
expressways, and the concentration of
high density development will shift the de¬
mand for shopping space. If commercial
blight is to be avoided, each case will have
to be studied to find out how much the
strip will decline, how best to help mer¬
chants relocate in prosperous centres, and
what the best future use for the vacated
land will be. Where they can be used,
urban renewal measures are the best
means of dealing with this problem since
public funds from all levels of government
will then be available to help in moving
businesses and in changing street and lot
layouts as may be necessary. The best ap¬
proach is a commercial improvement
programme, similar to the residential im¬
provement programme but applied to
commercial properties. The Metropolitan
Urban Renewal Study will touch on this
subject and may give some guidance for
future action. But it will be a gradual pro¬
cess going on over many years. It will re¬
quire constant study, special policies and
continuous action by the City, merchants
and owners if it is to be successfully car¬
ried through.

MOWitK

LAM

svxwm.

CAFE

The City may undertake to assist certain
special purpose areas because of their vital
role in the commercial life of the City.

Tree planting can define commercial areas and make them more attractive.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION
IN THE OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The City to adopt the objective that future commercial development be
concentrated into designated areas to produce efficient and attracive centres.

2. Centres of commercial activity to be as shown in the General City Plan.

3. The Downtown area to continue to contain the main concentration of
financial and related business, and of general retail trade.

4. Development in the Downtown area to be efficiently distributed without
excessive concentration in any one place, that it be attractive and enjoyable
for its users by integrating the planning of all the diverse features of com¬
merce, entertainment, transportation and the arts.

5. Outside the Downtown area, future office development to be channelled to
existing office sub-centres, except for business and professional offices serving
specific districts.

6. The development and efficient working of designated office sub-centres and
district centres to be aided by the City as a matter of public policy. Where
appropriate, such support to include zoning changes, special bonus provisions,
urban renewal schemes, provision of parking, improved access, separation of
pedestrian and vehicular traffic, public works and encouragement of co-opera¬
tive schemes for improving the appearance and adding to the amenities of
public and private property.

7. District centres to be made the centre of intensive and varied activity for
each district by ensuring that entertainment, recreation, and civic and public
buildings are located in or adjacent to them.

8. Further expansion of commercial strip areas to be curbed and the unlimited
building of shopping centres in industrial zones prevented.

9. A commercial improvement programme to be instituted so that areas of
commercial activity that are uneconomic, badly located, or physically de¬
teriorated, will be studied and special policies and programmes adopted for
their replacement or redevelopment.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

Industry

The Industrial Structure of Toronto

Early Toronto had a few small industries
that manufactured for purely local needs:
these were centred on lower Yonge Street,
although there were two breweries north
of Bloor Street, and some mills on the
Don River. It gained prominence in the
1850’s with the coming of the railways
and the use of steampower in factories.
It expanded with the influx of immigrants,
good markets strengthened by the Ameri¬
can Civil War, and the protection of
tariffs imposed by the Dominion Govern¬
ment. By the turn of the century it had
many of the types of industry it has today,
and more than half of the City population
was dependent on this industry.

During the period from 1850 to 1920
plants spread outwards from the central
area, initially following the railway lines.
From 1875 to 1890 factories moved north
and west from Bathurst Street to Sorauren
Avenue and Dupont Street. Starting in
1890, the area along the C.P.R. line paral¬
lel to Dupont developed, as did the Junc¬
tion District. The large meat packers
followed the location of the Ontario
Stockyards in the Keele-St. Clair area in
1900. Meantime, factories also developed
along the Don River south of Gerrard
Street, west along King Street, and along
the C.N.R. tracks in the Coxwell-Wood-
bine area. The introduction of electricity
soon after 1900 boosted manufacturing in
the City, and World War I brought heavy
demands for goods — munitions, food and
clothing. The 1920’s were marked by the
continuing growth of industry.

Harbour land reclamation began in
1 862. It was greatly extended by filling
into the lake in the 1920’s. Since World
War II harbour expansion has gone on,
adapting to changes brought about by the
St. Lawrence Seaway. Lake fill is again
being used for this purpose but now the
new docks are outside the Toronto Bay
for the first time.

Today manufacturing is a major eco¬
nomic activity in the City. It is quite
varied, comprising a large number of
small to medium-sized plants producing
for the consumer market.

There are seven major industrial areas
in Toronto.

1. AREA NUMBER 1 - WEST CENTRAL

The area bounded by Dundas, Bathurst,
Front and Jarvis Streets contains two
special concentrations, the garment in¬
dustry or “needle trade” centred at Spa-
dina Avenue and Adelaide Street, and the
printing and allied industries located near
the south end of University Avenue and
extending to the west. The textile whole¬
salers and jobbers displaced from Welling¬
ton Street between York and Bay have
moved to nearby locations and to the west.
The area also houses manufacturers of
iron and steel, leather and paper products,
and the wholesaling of iron and steel and
paper products and of china. Many new
and small firms are attracted to this area
by low rents and proximity to markets
and suppliers.

2. AREA NUMBER 2— PARKDALE

West of area number 1 is a group of three
sub-areas, the first bounded by Queen,
Bathurst and Niagara Streets, the second
by Dufferin, Queen and Strachan Streets
and the C.N.R., and the third following
the C.N.R. from Queen Street to Dundas
Street and Sorauren Avenue. Among
them, they contain a great diversity of in¬
dustries, mainly manufacturing but with
some wholesalers and warehouses. The
iron and steel industry is most important,
followed by textiles and clothing, elec¬
trical apparatus, printing and furniture.

3. AREA NUMBER 3 - JUNCTION

In the Junction area industry is focused
on the three major rail lines. The meat
packers are concentrated here, but the
bulk of industry is manufacturing, mainly
metallic products, food products and

chemicals. There are also many other
types of manufacturing, together with
wholesalers, scrap metal yards, construc¬
tion firms and transport companies.

4. AREA NUMBER 4 - HARBOUR

This is an extensive industrial area, ex¬
tending from Bathurst Street to Leslie
Street, and south from Front Street and
Eastern Avenue to the Lakeshore. The
southern portion, below the railways and
Eastern Avenue, is relatively modern. It
is oriented essentially towards the Har¬
bour. There are two distinct sub-areas in
the southern section. The sub-area to the
east of Cherry Street provides storage
space for coal, petroleum, steel and
chemicals. There are also several manu¬
facturing establishments, the chemical in¬
dustry being the most significant. The
major land fill now under way will pro¬
vide room for harbour expansion as
needed in the future, and industrial sites
with access to the water. The sub-area to
the west of Cherry Street is dominated by
the docks, although there are a limited
number of manufacturing and wholesale
establishments. The northern portion of
Area No. 4, north of the railway right-of-
way and extending up to Front and
Eastern Avenue, is unrelated to the har¬
bour. It is an area of old industrial build¬
ings and is primarily oriented towards
serving Downtown Toronto. Manufactur¬
ing and warehousing are dominant in this
area.

5. AREA NUMBER 5 - DUPONT

Industry in the Dupont area is highly con¬
centrated in a narrow east-west belt along
the C.P.R. tracks extending from Dufferin
Street in the west to Bedford Road in the
east. It is predominantly a manufacturing
area characterized by an extreme varia¬
tion in the age and size of firms, as well
as diversity of products, which include:
iron and steel, food and beverage, textile,
chemical and rubber.

6. AREA NUMBER 6 - EAST TORONTO

In East Toronto industry is concentrated
along the C.N.R. line, mainly between
Pape and Greenwood Avenues. It is
chiefly manufacturing, including light iron
and steel products, paper products, elec¬
trical apparatus, printing, rubber prod¬
ucts, toys, and food and beverages, but
there are also wholesaling, warehousing,
construction and transport firms. Various
inadequacies give this area probably the
poorest industrial prospects of any of the
seven.

7. AREA NUMBER 7 - EAST CENTRAL

The industrial area from Jarvis Street to
and along the Don River, on either side
of Queen Street, has several clearly de¬
finable sub-areas.

The Jarvis to Parliament section con¬
sists mostly of manufacturing similar to
that found in the West Central area. Scrap
yards predominate in the area bounded by
Eastern Avenue, St. Lawrence, River,
Shuter and Parliament Streets. The re¬
mainder of the area has a mixture of

firms, with service industries predominant
among the new arrivals.

Trends in Industry Today

Manufacturing employment in Metropoli¬
tan Toronto and in the City is no longer
the largest component of the labour force.
The grouping which includes service,
trade and finance is now the largest and
the fastest growing. This partly reflects
the fact that the City provides services to
the growing region, but also the fact that
with increased wealth more services are
required. The drop in manufacturing and
wholesaling employment occurred while
there was actually an increase in floor
space and only normal vacancies, illus¬
trating the fact that increased automation
is affecting the City as well as the suburbs.

Certainly major changes are taking
place in the City. Large old firms leave,
and small young firms occupy their space.
These firms in turn grow large and are
forced to move. Some existing firms de¬
cide, because of the amounts already in¬
vested on the site or the advantages of the

location, to expand rather than move.
And entirely new firms and new buildings
are being established.

The Future of Industry

The City should continue to be an im¬
portant industrial centre. It is advan¬
tageous for many industries because of
the convenience of the large business
centre, finance, contacts and buyers, be¬
cause of its range of business services and
supplies, its labour and its markets. Trans¬
portation in the industrial areas is
generally excellent. The Harbour is par¬
ticularly well served. Older buildings with
space to rent at reasonable rates serve as
“incubators” for new small industries
which can later move to larger premises
as they prosper. This is a vital function to
feed new life into the Toronto economy.

This will provide employment for the
City’s people, even though there will be
a shift from manufacturing to service em¬
ployment. It will serve the city centre and
provide wealth to sustain all its activities.

To thrive, the City must improve the

INDUSTRIAL AREAS 1966

Lowrence

Industry

Eglinton

Area Number

The compactness of the well-serviced industrial areas in the City is in contrast to the spaciousness found in the suburbs.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
BY MAJOR CATEGORIES
Total Canada

1800

1700

1600

1500

1400

1300

1200

•o

% 1100

«•

® 1000

- 900

•

o 800
u.

I 700

J 600
500
400
300
200
100
0

Province of Ontario

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

—

I95< 1961 1951 I9GI 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961

Metropolitan Toronto

S 300

1951 1961 1951 1961 I 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961

City of Toronto

□ Agriculture, Forestry and Logging, Fishing and Trapping,
Mining, Quarrying and Oil Wells
Manufacturing

| Transportation, Communication ond Utilities

| Recreation, Personal, Government ond
Commercial Services

| Trade, Finance, Insurance ond Real Estate, Construction,
not Stated or Unspecified

Source Dominion Bureau of Statistics

Manufacturing employment in Metropoli¬
tan Toronto rose between 1951 and 1961 .
However, employment in the service and
trade sectors rose more rapidly. In the
City, employment in manufacturing actu¬
ally declined, while service employment
continued to increase.

advantages it has in being a compact well-
serviced area, in contrast to the spacious¬
ness offered by the suburbs. It must
consolidate and improve its better loca¬
tions while allowing isolated sites to
change to other uses. The isolated sites,
mostly strung along the railway lines in
East Toronto and Parkdale, are hard to
sustain, because of the lack of services
and the friction with residences, and can
better be converted to other purposes
when their occupants move. The better
locations can be further consolidated,
made more efficient and attractive, and
provided with new buildings to accom¬
modate industrial growth.

An improvement programme will gen¬
erally achieve the best results. Poor hous¬
ing and poor industrial buildings can be
removed and the land used to improve the
total area. Parking can be increased,
servicing improved, streets re-organized,
and room provided for plant expansion.
Just as important, the area can be cleaned
up and beautified by landscaping, tree
planting, better lighting and handsome
street furniture. Many of these measures
can be carried out on their own but an im¬
provement programme offers the best
chance to do a thorough, co-ordinated job
with the benefit of adequate finances.

Most firms that leave the City do not
want to go. They move because there is no
suitable space for them in the City. The
buildings they leave are often old, rather
inefficient and quite cheap, and the space
is taken up by young “incubator” in¬
dustries that are prepared to put up with
it for the economy and the location. But
the established, expanding industry would
gladly pay more for better space. There is
a need for suitable new multi-storey fac¬
tories if they can be achieved at rentals
that are not too high compared with
suburban costs. Improvement pro¬
grammes may help in creating suitable
sites.

It is important that all suitable indus¬
trial land be kept for industry and not
disposed of for other purposes. Efforts
should be made to encourage those in¬
dustries in the warehousing, distribution
and service activities, particularly incu¬
bator industries, and those related to the
harbour, and to provide space for them
to locate in industrial areas of the City.
Unless this is done, industry will be more
and more hampered by lack of space and
obliged to move to the suburbs.

One major opportunity exists for new
industrial land. This is the fill into the
Lake for the extension of the harbour.
Land created here is best used for in¬
dustries that make use of lake water or
the harbour. It is an excellent opportunity
for new buildings in a handsome setting:
a high standard of excellence can be es-

PERCENTAGE EMPLOYMENT
BY MAJOR CATEGORIES

Total Canada

Metropolitan Toronto

* 30

**■ 25

^ 20

-I

H- 15
o

1 10
o

1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961

City of Toronto

li¬

20
I 5
10
5
0

1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961 1951 1961

Agriculture, Forestry ond Logging, Fishing and Trapping,
Mining, Quarrying ond Oil Wells
Manufacturing.

Transportation, Communication ond Utilities.

Recreation, Personal, Government and
Commercial Services

Trade, Finance, Insuronce ond Real Estate, Construction,
not Stoted or Unspecified.

Source Dominion Bureau of Statistics

In all parts of the country, a smaller pro¬
portion of the labour force is engaged in
manufacturing. Service industry is now
the major employer in the City.

The City of Toronto will continue to be an important industrial centre.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION IN THE
OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The City to adopt the objective that Toronto will continue to be an impor¬
tant industrial centre.

2. Industrial areas to be those shown in the General City Plan.

3. Changes in the pattern of industrial development within the City to be
recognized and encouragement given to those industries which depend on the
convenience of locations which provide ready access to the business centre,
finance, buying organizations, large rfetail markets, business services and sup¬
pliers, and the Harbour.

4. Zoning regulations to be reviewed to ensure that different types of indus¬
trial activity are reasonably segregated and the purposes for which industrial
land may be used, other than for industry, are controlled.

5. The siting and maintenance of industrial premises and the storage and
disposal of waste and scrap to be regulated.

6. Uses permitted in industrial areas to be reviewed to allow ancillary and
incidental commercial uses.

7. The control of air and water pollution to within acceptable levels to be
encouraged.

8. The use of fill to be directed towards extension of the harbour, the land
being used to create new land for industry and suitably landscaped parkland
along the newly created waterfront. An attractive industrial estate to be part
of the harbour expansion.

9. An industrial improvement programme to be instituted, to improve the
efficiency and appearance of industrial areas and to relocate scattered indus¬
tries into designated industrial areas.

10. Provision to be made in improvement programmes for parking, public
works and other facilities, road re-alignment, improved access, and co-opera¬
tive schemes to enhance the appearance of the areas.

11. Where small parcels of land 'become available within industrial areas
through improvement programmes, or which are in the ownership of the City,
they are to be used for the expansion or improvement of facilities serving
industry in the area.

12. Where suitable parcels of industrial land become available, an endeavour
will be made to achieve rental space suitable for small industries in multi¬
storey factories designed for that purpose.

tablished to the benefit of surrounding
areas as well. An efficient trucking ter¬
minal can also be created to serve the
port area.

There are also the extensive railway
yards running west from Union Station
to Bathurst Street. These will be re-organ¬
ized as the result of the construction of
the new suburban yards. Though it seems
unlikely that any land will be given up, an
opportunity exists to develop major new
projects above the tracks, using the air
rights.

With vigorous steps to improve the
better placed industrial areas, to modern¬
ize buildings and services and to provide
suitable new buildings for expansion, there
is every reason to believe that industry will
continue to thrive and contribute greatly
to Toronto's prosperity.

Land fill will provide room for harbour
expansion and for an industrial park.

Encouragement will be given to industries
which depend on locations with ready
access to large retail markets.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

Major Parks

The Background

Water has given Toronto four priceless
gifts: the lakeshore and open water, with
all that these imply; the Toronto Islands,
a secluded park within easy reach, shel¬
tering a first-class harbour; the ravines
which wind through the otherwise solid
mass of buildings and streets; and the
escarpment, the shore of prehistoric Lake
Iroquois which adds interest to the City’s
site. The lakeshore, the Islands, and the
ravines, together with High Park, which
itself is mostly a ravine park, give the
people of Toronto a remarkable choice of
outdoor environment and recreation.

Everything possible must be done to
protect and enhance these unique assets,
especially in view of the increasing pres¬
sure of the City. High Park is fully used
by the City and the Islands are being de¬
veloped by Metropolitan Toronto. But the
ravines and the lakeshore still offer the
prospect of substantia] development to
increase their value to the people of
Toronto.

The Ravines

The original ravines of Toronto can be
divided into four groups:

THE RAVINES WHICH NOW CONSTITUTE
HIGH PARK

Two long ravines in the western part of
the City which came together near Fort
York. These have almost completely dis¬
appeared, one having been used for the
railway lines running north-westward
from the central yards and the other (the
Bickford ravine) having been largely filled
or built on. Fragments remain in Willow-
vale Park, Trinity-Bellwoods Park and
some smaller parks.

Several small ravines in the central and
eastern sectors of the City. Most of these
have also been used in various ways, small
parts remaining in various parks such as
Queen’s Park, Withrow Park and Fair-
mount Park.

The Don Valley and the ravines which
run into it — the Chatsworth-Lawrence
Park, Moore Park, Vale of Avoca, Nord-
heimer and Rosedale Valley ravines. The
Chatsworth-Lawrence Park ravine and
the Nordheimer ravine (including Sir
Winston Churchill Park) are parts of the
original ravine system, but are now sepa¬
rated from it. The Moore Park Ravine,
the Vale of Avoca and the Rosedale
Valley, all linked to the Don Valley, re¬
main as a continuous series of natural
valleys in something close to their original
state. The recreational potential of this
area is of the greatest value to the whole
City.

In 1960 City Council adopted the
policy of acquiring and using the ravines,
as recommended in “Natural Parklands”,
a report by the City of Toronto Planning
Board. A number of steps are still needed
to put this policy into effect.

THE OUTER RAVINES AND RAVINE PARKS

The Chatsworth-Lawrence Park ravine,
which runs diagonally across North To¬
ronto from Havergal College to Sherwood
Park, is almost completely landscaped and
developed as park within the City. Metro¬
politan Toronto should carry this treat¬
ment along the ravine from Sherwood

An amusement and recreation park should
complement Downtown, tivoli gardens,

COPENHAGEN.

Park to the Don Valley. The rear of some
private lots that run down into the ravine
should be acquired to add to the use of
the valley.

The Nordheimer Ravine was originally
part of Rosedale Valley, but (and fill and
building having separated it from Rams-
den Park. It now runs from Boulton Drive
to St. Clair Avenue, crossed by Spadina
Road, and is mainly publicly owned and
in a natural state. The Spadina Express¬
way will run through the part northwest
of Spadina Road. It should be carefully
designed to ensure that the valley remains
an attractive park with a pleasant wooded
walk. This should be connected by a con¬
tinuous pedestrian way to Ramsden Park,
thus providing a link to Rosedale Valley
and the central ravine system.

The Edgewood-Fairmount-East Lynn
ravine, between Danforth Avenue and the
Eastern Beaches has been largely lost to
fill and building. Only the small parks
named, and a short stretch of unused
ravine on either side of the C.N.R. line,
are left. These should be connected to¬
gether by existing streets, unused road
allowances, easements across privately-
owned ravine land, and a tunnel under
the railway, to provide a pedestrian walk
to the lakeshore. The Gardiner Express¬
way should be carefully designed to ac¬
commodate this walk.

The Glen Stewart ravine, between
Queen Street and the Kingston Road,
should be enlarged as a developed park
by the acquisition of some privately
owned ravine land.

THE CENTRAL RAVINE SYSTEM

Rosedale Valley, The Vale of Avoca and
Moore Park Ravine all connect to the
Don Valley. At the northern end people
can walk from the Vale of Avoca to the
Moore Park Ravine through Mount Pleas¬
ant Cemetery. From Rosedale Valley to
the Vale of Avoca the way lies through

MAJOR PARKS AND THE WATERFRONT 1966

St. Cloir

PARKS OF 20 ACRES OR MORE

SIR CASIMIR GZOWSKI PARK

HIGH PARK

SUNNYSIDE PARK

EARLSCOURT PARK

TRINITY- BELLWOOOS PARK

EXHIBITION, CORONATION, 8 LAKESHORE PARKS

WILLOWVALE PARK

QUEEN'S PARK

EGLINTON PARK

SHERWOOD PARK

DAVID A. BALFOUR PARK

ROSEDALE VALLEY ROAD LANDS

RIVERDALE PARK

WITHROW PARK

WOODBINE BEACH PARK

BEACHES PARK

KEW GARDENS

RECREATION CENTRES ft ARENAS

GEORGE BELL ARENA
McCORMICK RECREATION CENTRE
TRINITY RECREAT'ON CENTRE
UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT
JOHN INNES RECREATION CENTRE
REGENT PARK NORTH RECREATION CENTRE
PAPE AVENUE RECREATION CENTRE
S. H ARMSTRONG RECREATION CENTRE
TED REEVE ARENA
ELIZABETH RECREATION CENTRE
NORTH TORONTO MEMORIAL ARENA

Oonforfh

Gerrord

Major Parks 8 Open Space
Cemeteries

Troils and Pedestrian Routes
Recreation Complex

The lake shore and ravine systems, the islands and the escarpment must be protected. Their use must be for the benefit of all.

Rosedale. Walking, cycling, horseback
and ski trails should extend through all of
them and, at intervals, playgrounds, pic¬
nic areas and the like should be provided.
Carefully and sensitively developed, the
central system should be one of Toronto’s
greatest attractions and a recreational as¬
set comparable to, though different from,
the Islands: a place for quiet relaxation,
for hikes, for nature studies, and just for
escape from brick, concrete and asphalt.
Part of it may be developed as a regional
park by Metropolitan Toronto but the
prime responsibility for the entire system
rests with the City.

Rosedale Valley should be used as at
present, from the open bowl at the Rose¬
dale subway station to the narrow wooded
defile as it approaches the Don Valley.
Private property should be acquired as
necessary to ensure public control of the
banks, especially if there is any danger of
intrusion by new buildings. Trails and
walkways should be constructed.

Much of the Vale of Avoca is owned by
either the City or Metropolitan Toronto.

Additional land should be acquired to en¬
sure good public access throughout,
particularly extending north to Mount
Pleasant Cemetery and also at the other
end where the ravine enters the Don
Valley. Slopes should be controlled by
purchase, agreement or regulation to en¬
sure that they are preserved as part of the
park. The central part of the ravine is
attractive and well maintained but the
northern part should be opened up and
improved through to the Cemetery. The
stretch leading to the Don Valley will be
greatly affected if the suggested Cross¬
town Expressway is built in it. The land
here is mostly held by the Metropolitan
Corporation and it is important that a
continuous park connection be created
through to the Don Valley whether the
Expressway is constructed or not.

Moore Park Ravine is owned by the
City and East York, and leads into the
Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The ravine
lands will be taken over by Metropolitan
Toronto to be developed as part of the Don
Valley park system. Continuous walkways

and trails should extend through from the
Valley to the Cemetery, through which
they can connect to the Vale of Avoca.
The slopes should be protected from any
development that could harm the attrac¬
tive natural atmosphere of the ravine.

The Waterfront

Like the ravines, the waterfront is a very
special asset and should be treated as
such. The City should be opened to the
lake by improving accessibility and ex¬
ploiting water views, and waterfront
recreations should be fully developed.
Careful landscaping and design should
give unity to the entire waterfront and
screen out its less attractive features. Pol¬
lution is a major threat to the use of the
lakeshore. Programmes of sewer con¬
struction and sewage treatment plant ex¬
tension will reduce this threat and should
be given high priority. But it must be
recognized that lake pollution is more
than a local problem. It is of concern also
to the province and the nation and as such
its ultimate solution must be sought in a

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

joint venture by all levels of government.

Plans for the entire Metropolitan water¬
front, from the west limit of Toronto
Township to the east limit of Pickering
Township, are being prepared by the
Metropolitan Toronto Planning Board.
The City is responsible for the part within
the City limits, the harbour area being
worked out in co-operation with the To¬
ronto Harbour Commissioners. Metro¬
politan Toronto is responsible for the
Islands and is now' developing them.

THE WESTERN BEACHES

The Western Beaches are a fine stretch of
parkland. They form an impressive ent¬
rance to the City, the curve of Humber
Bay affording a handsome view of the
skyline of Downtown Toronto across an
expanse of water.

The City is taking over from the Har¬
bour Commissioners the land south of the
F. G. Gardiner Expressway, from the
Humber to the east end of Coronation
Park. The present policy of maintaining
the parkland and developing it for swim¬
ming, walking, picnicking, boating and
children's playgrounds will be continued.

Commercial operations other than con¬
cessions in public parks, should not be
allowed to expand: rather they should be
cut back as opportunity permits. Private
clubs, located on the waterfront, which
make use of lakefront facilities, should be
allowed only limited expansion and only
where such expansion will not interfere

with public use of the waterfront. Uses
which do add to the public enjoyment of
the lakeshore, such as marinas and restau¬
rants, should be leased on a concession
basis.

A more intensive recreation area should
be developed to serve particularly the
west end of the City. It should be as acces¬
sible as possible by transit and road. The
construction of a Queen Street subway
would make the best location as close as
possible to Queen and Roncesvalles.

Bicycle and walking trails should ex¬
tend down the Humber Valley, across the
Western Beaches and on to the Islands via
the ferries or a transit tunnel.

The continuous sweep of the water
should be cherished as one of the fine fea¬
tures of the Western Beaches. It can be
enhanced and reinforced by suitable land¬
scaping of the park and highway. There
should be no interference with the sweep
of the waterfront, by filling or otherwise,
except for purposes that are essential to
the enjoyment of the Beaches, and any
such developments should be carried out
in a way that will enhance the appearance
of the area, not detract from it. Motorists,
pedestrians and cyclists, and all those who
come to enjoy the Beaches, should have
the clear view to the lake before them.

THE C.N.E. - FORT YORK AREA

East of the Western Beaches is the Cana¬
dian National Exhibition. Besides the
great annual exhibition and other fairs,
this should be a year-round centre of

continuous interest for Toronto residents
and visitors. It has a large site, and there
is considerable space to house expanded
operations within it if parking can be
made available elsewhere. A large parking
garage north of the railways and the Gar¬
diner Expressway could, if connected di¬
rectly to the C.N.E. grounds, to the
Expressway, and to suitable transit serv¬
ices to the Downtown area, serve the Ex¬
hibition and be used by daily commuters.
In addition to the C.N.E. there are sev¬
eral interesting places in this area: the
Marine Museum, Fort York, Maple Leaf
Stadium, several boat clubs, Coronation
Park and the Armed Services exhibits, and
the playground south of Exhibition Park
between Lakeshore Boulevard and the
lake itself. They cover a wide range of
leisure activity for different ages and
tastes: by linking them together an in¬
teresting, loose-knit grouping can be
achieved with a wide variety of attrac¬
tions. A site for a major recreation and
amusement park could also be created in
this area.

Good transportation will be important
to the success of this area. It must be easy
to reach from the entire region. Excellent
service to the area would be provided by a
continuation of the subway system from
the transportation terminal and connected
to the Bathurst line at Queen. It would
serve those from Toronto coming by sub¬
way and those from the region coming by
commuter train. It could be the same line
that served the C.N.E. and its commuter
parking garage, and any other develop¬
ment over the railway tracks, and a branch
from it could also serve the ball park and
the Islands, including the Airport.

THE CENTRAL WATERFRONT

This sector of the waterfront covers the
area south of the Gardiner Expressway
between Stadium Road and Coatsworth
Cut with the exception of the Islands.
Besides the harbour itself this is the largest
industrial area in the City. Most of the
land, about 1,000 acres, has been created
by fill into the lake, a process which is still
continuing. Originally, most of it was
owned by the Toronto Harbour Commis¬
sioners/but about 20% has been sold to
private companies and 15% to other pub¬
lic agencies. Thus 80% of the land re¬
mains in public ownership, although 50%
out of this is occupied by private com¬
panies through leases. Large tracts of land
still remain vacant in the eastern section
of the harbour and the filling operation is
adding more and more every year. When
the newly created land has settled it should
be landscaped and used for public park
purposes until needed for development.
This is particularly important along the
lakeshore where it can form a valuable

part of a continuous park waterfront from
one city limit to the other, including the
Islands. Even where docks are developed
attractive tree-lined roads should be main¬
tained so that visitors can have a pleasant
drive through this very important part of
the City.

The western part of the central water¬
front, from the western gap to York
Street, has several very large industries,
mostly grain elevators and milling plants,
right on the docks, and north of them the
extensive railway yards that are likely to
be reorganized in the next few years. The
chance to develop the air rights over the
yards offers a great opportunity to the
City, although the fact that these are air
rights will limit what can be done both
because of the cost and because it will all
be elevated structure.

Projects over the tracks could include
motor hotels, offices, commercial and
service businesses. Any residential de¬
velopment in the area would be difficult,
because of the large industrial areas to the
north and the Gardiner Expressway and
major plants to the south. It seems un¬
likely that these plants will move, opening
up a vista to the harbour.

Nowhere else, except possibly through
clearance in renewal projects, is there
likely to be such a large area available
reasonably close to Downtown. Its devel¬
opment should not be permitted to com¬
pete with Downtown but should comple¬
ment it. Priority in its use should be given
to those things which the City needs and
which take large areas, particularly public
needs.

A major recreation centre would be
most desirable in this area. The possibility
of an amusement and recreation park has
already been mentioned, a combination
of Disneyland, fun-fair, concerts, danc¬
ing, restaurants and other entertainments
designed for the needs of the future popu¬
lation of Toronto and its region. It will be
particularly necessary to cater to the
growing numbers of teen-agers and young
adults. This would be a good location for
an indoor arena, a stadium and sports
complex. A site for a new stadium might
be the land on which Maple Leaf Stadium
now stands, and some adjoining lands,
once the area is well served by transit.

The use of all this area, and the C.N.E.
and Islands, would be greatly enhanced
by an extension of the subway system
from the transportation terminal at the
time the railway tracks are being reorgan¬
ized. A further connection to the Bathurst
line at Queen would also improve access
to the area from major parts of the City.
Easy access to all of Toronto and its
region would make this a choice location
for projects that would serve the entire
area.

The development of available land and the air rights along the railways from the western
gap to York Street will provide for the recreational needs of young adults.

The core of the central waterfront is
the area south of Union Station between
York Street and Yonge Street. The plans
for this relatively small but vital sector
are based on the following objectives:

(i) all development to fit into one major
scheme for the entire area;

(ii) to create a visual and functional link
between Downtown Toronto and the
waterfront;

(iii) to complement, not conflict with, the
development of Downtown;

(iv) to be of benefit to the Port of Toronto;

(v) to provide for maximum public ac¬
cess to and enjoyment of the water¬
front.

A scheme to achieve all these objectives
could include a variety of buildings and
open space, including a transportation
terminal, an exhibition and other com¬
munity buildings, multi-level parking,
parks, hotels, motels, apartments, offices,
separate facilities for ferries, small boats,
and large vessels.

Such a scheme should be carried out as
a joint public and private project rather
than by public redevelopment. Co-opera¬
tion among the landowners involved, and
possibly some consolidation of ownership,
would be essential, but complete consoli¬
dation should not be necessary. Most of
the land is owned by government or by
public agencies and the accomplishment
of the scheme on a co-operative basis

ought to be possible. Whatever is done
should make the most of this fine spot
and its vista of the Bay and Islands, and
should be strongly linked back into Down¬
town to bring the pleasure of the water¬
front back to the City centre.

East of the harbour lands lies Ash-
bridge’s Bay Sewage Treatment Plant.
This is to be expanded by Metropolitan
Toronto, out into the lake. The new land
created should form a continuous shore¬
line with the lake fill placed to accom¬
modate the expansion of the harbour.

While it can not be used as park all of
this land should be landscaped as attrac¬
tively as possible and a scenic road, start¬
ing in the harbour area, probably at
Cherry Street, should skirt it on the water¬
front, and extend through to the Eastern
Beaches.

THE EASTERN BEACHES

This is a most attractive beach area run¬
ning from Ashbridge’s Bay (Coatsworth
Cut) each of the City limits at Victoria
Park Road. It is readily divided into the
part east of Kew Gardens, which is essen¬
tially a pleasant beach serving mainly the
residents of the adjoining Beaches area,
although it does also house the Balmy
Beach Rowing Club, and the part to the
west, which is a major beach serving
people from a wide area and containing
the Olympic Pools. Alongside is Ash-

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

bridge's Bay with its boat clubs, and to the
north are the Woodbine Race Track, the
Beaches Athletic Field and Kew Gardens.

The extension of the sewage plant into
the lake on the west side of Ashbridge’s
Bay, will call for filling into the lake on
the east side also, in order to recreate a
satisfactory shoreline. This will influence

the use of the Eastern Beaches during the
filling process, but more beach and park¬
land will be created in this valuable loca¬
tion. It is possible that the present Ash-
bridge's Bay may be lost as a small har¬
bour. This loss should be offset by the
provision of new and larger marine basins
for small boats in the same area. There is

a great need for additional small boat
marinas in several places on the water¬
front, and this area, having direct access
by road, and long-established boating
clubs, is an excellent choice.

The Eastern Beaches generally provide
good swimming. The extensions to the
sewage treatment plant are intended to
still further purify its effluent and should
help reduce the danger of pollution, but
care will still be needed especially as
several road sewers discharge into Ash¬
bridge’s Bay. It will be some years before
this situation can be completely corrected
and in the meantime the use of Ash¬
bridge’s Bay may be reduced because the
land fill on either side will make it more
of a closed-in channel.

As much as possible of the present
sandy beach should be preserved when
filling takes place. It might become part
of a large lagoon that could provide excel¬
lent swimming in the summer and in
winter, if frozen over, a great outdoor
skating rink. The Eastern Beaches hold
great promise for further expansion to
make them even more interesting and
better able to cater to many thousands of
Torontonians.

The islands, the lakeshore and the ravines
will he preserved for public recreational
use. Pedestrian trails should extend
through the ravines to the waterfront.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION
IN THE OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The objective of the City to be that the lakeshore, islands, ravines and
escarpment are protected and enhanced as unique assets, preserving them for
all time for public use.

2. Policies to be adopted for each of the major ravine systems so that they
may remain in their natural state with such extension, connection, clearance
and improvement as is necessary to their use as continuous areas for walking,
riding, picnics and recreation.

3. Private land within the ravine areas to be acquired where necessary to pre¬
vent development incompatible with the recommendations above, in accord¬
ance with a schedule of priorities. When acquired, such land to be designated
as public open space.

4. Where it is appropriate to designate parts of a ravine area for the construc¬
tion of a road or other non-recreational purpose, the design to detract as little
as possible from, and where possible to promote and enhance, the appearance
and recreational value of the ravine. Where parkland is lost through such
action, equivalent amounts to be acquired either in the same area, or elsew'here
in the City where there is deficiency of parkland.

5. The waterfront to be opened to public view and waterfront recreation fully
developed. With the exception of the harbour area, recreational and ancillary
uses, such as parking, restaurants, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks
and marinas to remain under public control.

6. Buildings and other features on the lakeshore, to be carefully designed and
landscaped to insure visual continuity, variety and the screening of those un¬
attractive features which cannot be improved.

7. Continuous trails to be developed through major parks and ravines and
along the waterfront for walking, riding, skiing and cycling, linking major
parklands together wherever possible. Where Metropolitan parks are involved,
the co-operation of the Metropolitan Corporation to be sought.

8. Filling in the lake for recreational purposes to be carried out only at selected
locations. Regard to be had for the visual effect of such filling on the lakeshore
as a whole, and for the enhanced enjoyment of the waterfront by the residents.

9. Public access to lakeshore parks to be improved, consistent wtih their
appearance, recreational value and the preservation of the amenity of the
adjacent residential areas.

10. Programmes of sewer construction and sewage treatment to eliminate
problems of water pollution to be pursued, with support from all levels of
government, to preserve the amenity of the lakefront and ravine lands for
recreational purposes.

1 1. The development of the existing features in the area between the Canadian
National Exhibition and Fort York into a major recreation complex, to be
encouraged.

12. The development of the air rights and available land along the railways
from the western gap to York Street, to be encouraged to meet the needs of
the City in complementing the Downtown area and in providing public space,
subject to the limitations of cost and structural capacity.

13. The whole area from the Union Station to the C.N.E. and the Island to be
served by a subway line to be provided at the time of the re-organization of the

railway trackage in that area.

14. An overall scheme for the development of the Central Waterfront to be
encouraged which will link Downtown and the waterfront, complement Down¬
town development, benefit the Port and provide maximum public access to
and enjoyment of the harbour front.

Education, Research and the Arts

The Role of Toronto

A great city is more than a place where
many people live and work. Greatness in
cities is gauged in large measure by the
variety and quality of opportunities they
offer to their citizens for the enrichment
of mind and spirit, and by the stimulating
atmosphere that lends vitality to individ¬
ual and corporate effort.

The city is the wellspring of knowledge
and creativity. To a growing extent society
is based on knowledge — on the discovery,
storage, analysis, integration and use of
facts — and on intelligent control based
on that knowledge. Research and decision¬
making are the hallmarks of the modern
metropolis.

At the same time, with rising educa¬
tional standards, greater prosperity, the
prospect of increased leisure, and the
growing ability of most people to take
time for those things they enjoy or think
worth while, the arts are moving from
the periphery to the centre of attention.
There is a shift that will greatly change
people’s needs and the emphasis on what
they expect from their city, a shift from
concern with finding the means of liveli¬
hood to concern with living.

Toronto is pre-eminently a head¬
quarters city, a commercial and financial
centre, a place where decisions are made
and policies established affecting the
entire country. It must be able to attract,
educate and retain the people it needs to
ensure its position of leadership if it is to
prosper. The provision of space and facili¬
ties for education, research and the arts
is a matter of first importance, and
beyond that everything possible must be
done to make Toronto a more civilized
and stimulating city.

The Needs in Higher Education

In the years to come there will be a
substantial increase in the number of
people in the City aged 18 to 21 and in

the percentage of them taking a post¬
secondary education. They may go to
universities, polytechnical institutes or
community colleges. In the past many
have gone to teachers’ colleges. Recently
the Province has decided that in future
elementary school teachers will take their
training in universities, and as a result
university enrolment will go up substan¬
tially.

By 1981 space will have to be created
in the City of Toronto for an additional
10,000 university undergraduates, 6,000
to 8,000 community college students,
10,000 polytechnical students and a num¬
ber of general arts students taking teacher
training. In addition there will be at least
an equal number of part-time and evening
students who will be seeking courses to
upgrade their qualifications or merely to
expand their knowledge of the world in
which they live, a knowledge which will
be increasingly essential if they are to be
able to play a useful role in it. Adult edu¬
cation will be of ever increasing import¬
ance. The demand can be expected to
strain the capacity of all schools and
colleges, besides creating a parking prob¬
lem in their area. There may even be a
need to expand some colleges beyond the
size needed to accommodate full-time
students, to take care of the demands of
adult education.

Additional capacity at present planned
in institutions of higher education will
not meet the anticipated demand, except
in the case of Ryerson Polytechnical In¬
stitute. A new undergraduate college and
one or more community colleges will be
needed.

The University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a great in¬
stitute of higher education. In this period
of continuous rapid advance in many
fields of learning it must constantly strive
to be in the forefront, to maintain a posi¬

tion of national and international leader¬
ship. Only in this way can it fulfil its
obligations to educate students to the
highest level, to develop new ideas and
knowledge of value to all mankind, and
to build up a faculty that can help the
community.

It is of the utmost importance to
Toronto that the University develop in
this way. The City needs the highly quali¬
fied graduates, the advanced knowledge,
and the best advice if its affairs are to be
conducted wisely so that it may prosper
in this increasingly complex and rapidly-
changing world. The University must con¬
tinuously expand its libraries, research
laboratories, and other plant to serve
advance graduate and faculty studies.

The logical direction of University ex¬
pansion is southward, towards the Art
Gallery and Grange Park. This expansion
could accommodate the necessary aca¬
demic and research facilities and also
residences that will be needed for many
students, particularly graduate students,
who should be housed close to the cam¬
pus. The University should develop plans
for its expansion as soon as possible,
setting out its needs and how it proposes
that they be met, and should consult with
the City in so doing.

While the University of Toronto will
grow from its present enrolment of 21,000
to a maximum of 25,000, it will not be
able to take more undergraduates than it
now has. Indeed, in the long run, it will
probably take fewer undergraduates be¬
cause priority must be given to graduate
and advanced students.

The acknowledged change in the Uni¬
versity of Toronto from a teaching insti¬
tution to a centre of scholarship will in¬
crease the demand for space for research
and for graduate students. This change
will also result in a shift in the role of the
University from a more local responsibil¬
ity for education, to an international in-

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

fluence which involves the whole country
and beyond. What undergraduate places
there are will be much sought after by
students from all across Canada and
abroad, drawn by the prestige of the
University. The City must look elsewhere
for the undergraduate education of in¬
creasing numbers of its sons and daugh¬
ters.

A New Undergraduate College

Bv 1981 there will be about 14,000 resi¬
dents of the City seeking a university
undergraduate education, exclusive of
those seeking teacher training, as against
4,700 enrolled in the University of To¬
ronto in 1964. A new university or univer¬
sity college will be needed to accommo¬
date some 5-6,000 of them since the Uni¬
versity of Toronto, which has always been
the “home town” university to Toron¬
tonians, will be unable to take them. Nor
can these students just be told to go else¬
where for their education. While many
students do go to out-of-town universities,
such a policy would inevitably mean that
many would not get the education they
should have, both in their own interest
and in the interests of society and the
City. This would be particularly true for
the poorer families.

This new university will also have to
take residents of other municipalities
adjoining the City, as well as the added
general arts students taking teacher train¬
ing. The total graduate enrolment would
be at least 10,000 by 1981. The suburban
universities, York, Erindale and Scar¬
borough, are not well placed to serve City
residents and they will, in any event, be
pressed to take care of the students from
their own districts by 1981. An additional
college may well be needed in the suburbs
before then.

The new university should probably be
a “city college” rather after the style pre¬
valent in many cities, with good research
and laboratory facilities since science and
technology will inevitably play a large
part in all future education. It should
concentrate on providing a sound basic
education for as many Toronto citizens
as possible and should cater both to those
taking regular undergraduate courses and
to the many thousands who will seek part-
time and evening classes. It should be as
close as possible to the Downtown core
of the City, served by good transporta¬
tion so that it will be accessible to people
living in all parts and also well placed to
serve the business community.

There is some urgency in founding this
new city college. It takes a long time to
organize a new institution of this type, to
staff it and to be ready to accept students.
The Province should consider this as a
matter of urgency for the City.

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute

Rverson Polytechnical Institute provides
the advanced technical training that is
increasingly important in our society. It
has grown rapidly since its founding in
1949 and it is expected that its enrolment
will increase from 4,100 in 1965 to 10,000
day students in 1 970, plus many thousands
of evening and part-time students. This is
not likely to meet the demand unless
further expansion is undertaken and ade¬
quate facilities are provided in the suburbs
to take students seeking basic technical
training.

Inevitably Ryerson will continue to ex¬
pand and to develop and elaborate its
courses. It should develop plans for its
growth in consultation with the City.

Community Colleges

Up until now secondary school has been
an accepted standard of education for
most people. It now appears essential that
they take some form of post-high school
education and that it be provided for all
those who can benefit from it.

Advancing technology requires a more
highly skilled labour force. Many of the
skills needed cannot be provided by the
secondary schools, and the universities
are not designed to offer this type of train¬
ing. The Province has recognized this
problem by the establishment of com¬
munity colleges to meet the needs of
graduates of secondary schools, apart

from those going on to university or to
Ryerson. Instruction may include general
education below university level, technical
courses and special courses to meet speci¬
fic needs. In addition to courses for grad¬
uates of the secondary schools, community
colleges can also serve adults and those
who have left school, by providing trade
and apprenticeship training, commercial
and other courses. In community colleges
students will receive adequate training so
that they can find a useful role in society.

There is an urgent need for one or more
community colleges in Toronto to fill the
gap in our educational system between
secondary schools and the university.

There are at present Provincial Insti¬
tutes of Trade on Nassau, Wellesley and
Dartnell Streets, with a combined enrol¬
ment in excess of 2,000. These would be
absorbed into the new community col¬
leges, but much more is needed. By 1981
the enrolment of day students should
reach 8,000 to 10,000. There is also a
heavy demand for part-time and evening
courses in this field, as demonstrated by
pilot projects.

One community college at least should
be close to Downtown, to serve the busi¬
ness community as well as nearby resi¬
dents. A site might be found in an urban
renewal project.

Adult Education and Retraining

In recent years there has been a steady
increase in the number of people taking

Public libraries are designed to remove barriers to knowledge.

The City will co-operate with Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in preparing its plans for
expansion.

part-time and evening classes to the point
where they now substantially outnumber
all those taking regular full-time courses
in comparable schools and colleges. Some
are studying to improve their ability to do
their job, others are simply anxious to
know more about the world they live in.
Because of the rapid rate of change in
our society there is also a rapidly-growing
need to train and re-train people. All of
these demands add up to a major task to
be faced by all our educational institu¬
tions.

Other Colleges

Any significant major city has a great

variety of colleges in many fields. Indeed,
this is one of the things that make it
significant. Toronto has several either
established or in embryo. Many more
should develop over the years and there
must be a willingness to encourage them
as part of the general stimulation of
thought and interesting diversity that will
add to the vitality of the City.

The Ontario College of Art is probably
the most important of the present colleges.
It should grow and develop as one of the
major elements of the proposed Grange
Centre. The School of the Royal Con¬
servatory of Music and the National Ballet
School fulfil similar roles. Colleges in the
other arts will be needed such as a theatre

school and a vocational school for music
and the performing arts.

Public Libraries

Public libraries are designed to remove
barriers to knowledge, to guide the reader
to a clearer understanding of his world.

Toronto is fortunate in having a large
and impressive public library system built
up over more than 80 years. It has a fine
Central Library supported by local
branches. The resources of the Central
Library are important to all Toronto. The
present site is not ideally located and is
considered inadequate. If it is relocated,
this library should be made as accessible
as possible to residents of the whole Metro
area and close to other institutions of
education and research. A location in or
close to the central area of the City and
near the major public transportation net¬
work is highly desirable.

Recently it has been recommended that
the Metropolitan area should develop a
new class of libraries, bridging the gap
between the highly specialized Central
Library and the limited services of the
small neighbourhood libraries. These
should be sited in places where they are
easily reached by transit from a large sur¬
rounding area and should preferably be in
district centres where they can benefit
from and add to the total attraction and
diversity of the centre.

Research

It is not only industry that must carry
out research to prosper. More and more,
business and government turn to studies
to determine the courses they should
follow. The means have been developing
over a number of years and the introduc¬
tion of the computer, with its ability to
correlate a vast array of facts, has greatly
increased their scope and efficiency. In
years to come this kind of research and
analysis will be fundamental to the suc¬
cessful operation of business and govern¬
ment.

Just as industry benefits greatly from
well conceived industrial research parks,
so business and government would benefit
from their own Downtown research cen¬
tres. Many individual research operations
are building up, either inside companies,
within government departments, at the
universities or in consultant services. The
entire community would benefit from
greater integration of these efforts and
research into the way individual pro¬
grammes could be related to one another
and the community. Research centres in or
close to Downtown could meet this need.

The Arts

It is axiomatic that a great city makes

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

MAJOR INSTITUTIONS IN THE CENTRAL AREA OFTORONTO

1 University of Toronto

2 Art Gallery

3 Ontario College of Art

4 The Grange Centre

5 Central Library

TORONTO BAY

Existing use
Expansion area ■■ ■

6 Ontario Government Area

7 Hospital Area

8 Municipal Government Area

9 Newspapers, Publishing, Advertising
New University (site not selected)

Existing su bway
m Proposed subway

10 Ryerson Poly techn ical Institute
I I Community College, Student Residences

12 St. Lawrence Centre

13 O' Keefe Centre

14 Broodcasting Centre

The grouping of major institutions around the Downtown core offers a wide variety of
opportunities for enrichment.

generous provision for the arts since they
represent an important part of man s
highest aspirations. With higher educa¬
tion. increased prosperity and a growing
ability to spend time on doing those things
that are enjoyable and worthwhile, people
will come to expect their city to provide
more of the arts in their lives.

Creativity is fundamental to the success
of the arts, and also to many facets of the
communications industry, including radio
and television, newspapers, advertising,
and publishing of books and magazines.
There is a strong inter-connection between
all of these and it is important that they
be close enough together so that they can
support one another and profit from the
services of the people active in the various
fields.

Toronto already holds a strong position
as the centre for English-speaking Canada
in the creative arts. There is an important
concentration in and around the Down¬
town area, a location that is convenient
for its many connections with the business
community and because it is accessible to
the entire public. It is essential that
Toronto strengthen its position over the
years since this whole field of activity will
inevitably become of increasing import¬
ance in our society. To do so, adequate
facilities must be created, many of them
in clearly identifiable centres that will
both express the importance of the activity
they house and provide a feature in the
city that people can recognize.

The St. Lawrence Centre, together with
the O’Keefe Centre, will form one such
feature. When the centennial project is
completed the Centre should be further
expanded as the need arises and can be
met, so that, together with the other
theatres and halls available, Downtown
will have a complete range of facilities
for the performing arts.

Alongside the St. Lawrence Centre
should be a new broadcasting centre, a
consolidation of the English-language net-

The expansion of the University of To¬
ronto will he important to the City in the
interests of advancing knowledge.

work production facilities for the C.B.C.,
possibly combined with some private com¬
panies. Apart from the obvious advantages
of being with the St. Lawrence and
O'Keefe Centres, this site would be con¬
venient to all the other creative arts, to
the business heart of the city, to hotels,
restaurants and the many services that
both the C.B.C. and others employ. For
the first time the C.B.C. could have a
home in Toronto adequate to their needs,
sited where it would be a conspicuous
feature of the city.

On the other side of Downtown the
Grange Centre for the visual arts could
be built up, starting with an expanded Art
Gallery and College of Arts as basic ele¬
ments. It could also include studios,
schools, a craft centre and similar facili¬

ties. With the construction of the Dundas
Street Mall from University Avenue to
the Art Gallery, the Grange Centre would
be well placed, especially in view of the
anticipated expansion of the University
of Toronto south to Dundas Street.

Elsewhere there would be many smaller
buildings for drama, concerts, art dis¬
plays, suitable for many of the smaller
groups in town, both amateur and pro¬
fessional. These could be part of com¬
munity centres or in public libraries or
similar buildings. They could be in dis¬
trict shopping centres, where they would
be a welcome addition. Outdoor displays,
outdoor concerts and performances could
also be staged in many places, both Down¬
town and in district centres, adding
interest and pleasure to the City.

The St. Lawrence
Centre will be a key in
providing a complete
range of facilities for
the performing arts.

The Central Concentration

Many of the items described in this
chapter will be clustered around Down¬
town. Here they are well placed to serve
the people of Toronto and of the entire
region. Together with commercial enter¬
tainment they make up some of the great¬
est attractions of the City centre. Together
with the hospitals, Queen’s Park, the
cathedrals and other institutions they
make up some of the most handsome
areas of development. Progressively they
will become more important features of
the central area. They are well placed on
the perimeter of the prime commercial
areas, which have ample room for expan¬
sion internally. It will be important to
ensure the best possible quality in their
development so that the total central area
can be a handsome, exciting place to be.

Research institutions will be encouraged
to locate in an area convenient to those
business, government, university and edu¬
cational institutions to which they are
related.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION
IN THE OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The City to adopt the objective that space and facilities will be provided for
education, research and the arts to attract, educate, and retain the people
needed to ensure a prosperous city that will command a position of inter¬
national leadership.

2. Institutions and buildings for education, research and the arts to be de¬
signed and located to enhance the appearance of the City.

3. The City to support the expansion of the University of Toronto in the in¬
terests of advancing knowledge and the needs of the City itself. Plans for this
expansion to be worked out in consultation with the City.

4. The establishment of a new undergraduate college in central Toronto, acces¬
sible to people in all parts of the City and to the business community in the
central area, to be facilitated.

5. The City to co-operate with Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in the prepara¬
tion of plans for expansion beyond the present limits of its site, having regard
for the possibility of providing student residences in an adjacent residential
improvement area.

6. A college or colleges of applied arts and technology to be established at
central locations in the City.

7. Encouragement to be given to the establishment of other schools in fields
such as the theatre, music, etc.

8. Research institutions to be encouraged to locate in an area convenient to
those business, governmental, university and educational facilities to which
they are related.

9. The St. Lawrence Centre to be expanded, as feasible, to include suitable
and adequate facilities for the performing arts and related activities.

10. The location of the C.B.C. Broadcasting Centre for the English-speaking
networks alongside the St. Lawrence Centre to be given every assistance by the
City in recognition of the prime importance of this activity to the creative life
of Toronto.

11. Establishment of the Grange Centre for the visual arts to be encouraged,
using an expanded Art Gallery and Ontario College of Art as major elements.

12. Accommodation and facilities for concerts, theatrical performances, ex¬
hibitions and similar endeavours to be included in public or private buildings
located in district centres where appropriate.

13. The Central Library to be located at a central point on the transportation
network as accessible as possible to residents of the whole Metro area and in
the central area close to other educational and research institutions.

14. “Regional” libraries, as designated by the Library Board, to be located in
district centres and other locations which can be reached easily by transit from
large surrounding areas.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

Transportation

The planning of transportation and devel¬
opment must go hand in hand. Develop¬
ment generates movement; ease of access
encourages development. A plan for one
makes sense only if integrated with an
appropriate plan for the other.

The maximum integration of all forms
of transportation must be sought — transit,
train, private car, truck — to achieve the
best use of each and the best overall
results.

The Region

The growth of the region, extending some
50 to 100 miles from Downtown Toronto,
is of cardinal importance to any future
plans. From its present population of
under 3 million it will grow to 7 million
by the turn of the century and to 10
million and more thereafter. It is for this
tremendous scale of growth that we are
now laying the foundations.

A system must be established that will
permit continued growth without con¬
gestion. Downtown Toronto, the heart of
the region, must be accessible from all
parts, and the entire region should offer
its residents attractive surroundings to
live and work in. Uncontrolled scattering
of development can not be tolerated as
it would result in the progressive despoil¬
ing of the entire area and steadily mount¬
ing congestion that could not be relieved
by the subsequent addition of mass transit
since movement would be too diffuse for
it to work.

The combination of a long-distance
high-speed mass transit system, such as a
commuter train service, between city
centres, and an expressway network for
regional circulation would be efficient,
attractive and flexible. It could accom¬
modate continued growth in old and new
cities by increasing commuter line capa¬
city rather than relying entirely on new
expressways. In the long run the com¬
muter train system could be as important
to the region as the subway is to Toronto.

It is imperative that an early decision be
made to adopt this system and use it as
the basis for the future development of
the region.

The most logical long-term plan for this
regional growth would be to establish a
system of efficient commuter train lines,
and to channel development to key points
on this system. Here existing cities could
be expanded or new ones established. The
commuter trains would give the residents
a fast, convenient way of travelling from
one city centre to another, particularly to
the centre of Toronto. They would have a
choice, instead of being forced to rely on
cars, and this choice would ease the de¬
mand for new highways. It should be
noted that there is no reason to expect a
commuter train service to be self-support¬
ing any more than any other form of pas¬
senger transportation. Public costs should
be weighed against the benefits to be
obtained.

Expressways would also be required,
for commercial and industrial traffic and
the large number of other trips that can
not be handled by rail service. They
should form a network allowing free
movement in many directions, with con¬
centration towards Toronto and other
major cities.

The new and expanded cities would be
an essential part of this concept since
development must be focused on the com¬
muter stations if the system is to work.
Local transit would take people to their
own city centre, where the commuter sta¬
tion would be. Expressways could also
bring drivers to convenient stations where
they could transfer to a train.

The towns and cities in the region could
be varied in size and character, depending
on their location and the period of their
development. People would have a choice
of places to live, each a city on its own
with its own centre, yet tied in with the
region so that the benefits of all its re¬
sources, its opportunities and interests,

would be readily available. Guiding devel¬
opment to selected locations can eliminate
the squandering of the countryside and
allow the building up of cities with ade¬
quate greenbelt areas. The channeling of
growth to these cities would also provide
an efficient basis for developing the serv¬
ices that people need. This efficient and
logical structure for the region could be
the foundation for varied, attractive and
flexible growth in which the individual
would have a choice of where to live and
how to travel.

The City

The City, and the surrounding Metro¬
politan area, is compact and concentrated
by comparison with the region. The same
principles should apply, but at a different
scale. The subway is the equivalent of the
regional commuter train, and the main
road the equivalent of the expressway.
Dramatic concentrations of new develop¬
ment must be accommodated. It is logical
that they focus on the subway, so that as
many people as possible will be able to
use it, being forced to rely on their cars
only when taking trips for which no transit
service could reasonably be provided. It
is important to build up the subway sys¬
tem to serve this development, just as it
is important to focus development on the
subway. This would provide the best
access to important parts of the City,
particularly Downtown, and would relieve
the surface streets as much as possible,
allowing them to operate satisfactorily for
many years to come.

Both regional and local systems would
focus on Downtown Toronto, commuter
trains and expressways at the regional
level being superimposed upon the sub¬
ways and main roads at the local level. To
get the best service it is essential that the
two systems be articulated so that people
could switch from one to the other where
it was most advantageous. Motorists on
the expressways should be given the op-

portunity of parking and transferring to
commuter train or subway; passengers on
commuter trains should be able to transfer
to subway where necessary; those who
have to drive Downtown should park on
the fringes and take transit or walk to their
destinations within the area.

Downtown is the principal focus of all
these systems. It is the centre of business,
shopping, government and other impor¬
tant functions. If it can be reached from
all parts of Toronto and its region by mass
transportation, it can be built up to the
greatest efficiency by concentrating people
without concentrating vast numbers of
cars.

The regional and local systems already
meet at Union Station. This is the place
where the expressway network is close to
Downtown; it is the southern end of the
subway loop and of the University-Front-
Jarvis arterial road system which encircles
Downtown. This is the logical area to
build the new transportation terminal.
This would include commuter and long¬
distance trains, long-distance buses, an air

terminal, heliport, taxi ranks, and com¬
muter parking. Traffic entering and leav¬
ing the City could easily transfer to sub¬
way or the local streets. Downtown, with
its business, entertainment, shopping and
hotels, is within easy walking distance.

People who still need to drive Down¬
town for business, shopping or entertain¬
ment should be accommodated as con¬
veniently as possible in and around the
area. Service vehicles should have free
access to the businesses they serve. But
people who use cars to get to and from
work, should be encouraged to park on
the perimeter. This would save land for
more important uses within Downtown
and reduce traffic congestion. Perimeter
roads should also be developed around
Downtown for through traffic. Everything
possible should be done to minimize
through traffic and to conserve the capa¬
city of the existing streets. If such meas¬
ures are adopted, it is likely that the
streets within Downtown will be adequate
for the next fifteen to twenty years. If they
are not, and especially if highways are

improved at the expense of transit, there
is every likelihood of serious congestion.

The time has come when there must be
a major decision about the kind of city we
are to have, and the decision on trans¬
portation is critical to it. If the City is to
be well organized and to work efficiently
and attractively, we must emphasize rapid
transit rather than highway construction.
Transit

Neither the commuter train nor the sub¬
way system are the direct responsibility of
the City, yet their adequate development
is essential to the City. Fortunately the
existing rail rights-of-way are very suit¬
ably located in the region and once a com¬
muter train system is established it should
be expanded as the region grows. The new
transportation terminal will be well placed
to handle the traffic. A few other stations
would be useful where passengers can
transfer to subway in the outskirts, but
otherwise fast trips with few stops should
be the rule.

A programme of subway extension is
also contemplated. After the suburban ex-

MAJOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES 1 981

CARTIER

MACDONALD

Lawrence

HIGHWAY 403

£ qlintpn

Eglinton

City Limit

St. Clair

OConnor

TOWN EXPRESSWAY

Danforth /

College

TVpresswai.

QUEEN ELIZABETH WA;

Front

Existing Expressway
Proposed Expressway
Cosstown Expresswoy
Arteriol Road
Improved Arterial Rood
Existing Rapid Transit
Proposed Ropid Tronsit
Possible Commuter Rail Line
Other Rail Line
Possible Transfer Point from
Rail or Expressway to Transit

While the Crosstown Expressway is shown, it should only be proceeded with if it can be shown conclusively that the benefits outweigh
the damage it would cause, and that the funds could not be better spent on expanding rapid transit facilities. A commuter rail line will be
in operation along the lakeshore from Hamilton to Dunbarton by 1967.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council

A sound transit system is essential to give access to important parts of the City and to
minimize traffic congestion.

tensions of the Bloor-Danforth lines are
completed, Metropolitan Toronto intends
to extend the Yonge Street line beyond the
City limits into North York. The opportu¬
nity should be taken to encourage drivers
on the MacDonald-Cartier Freeway, and
Yonge Street, to park and transfer to this
subway if heading into the City. A subway
on Queen Street should have high priority.
It should run from Roncesvalles to the
Greenwood Yards, but if sufficient funds
for all of it are not immediately available
a start could be made by putting the pres¬
ent street car line in a tunnel through the
central area, from about Spadina to Sher-
bourne. It is essential that all of this area
have good access to the City centre.

Provision has been made for rapid
transit in the centre boulevard of the Spa¬
dina Expressway. At the southern end this
was planned to swing east, cross the
Bloor-Danforth line at St. George Station
and link up with the University Avenue
line. This may not be practicable. There

would then be four lines, Bloor from the
west, Spadina from the north-west, Yonge
from the north, and Danforth from the
east, feeding into two lines, University and
Yonge, taking people Downtown. If traffic
grows as anticipated, and particularly with
the focusing of development on the sub¬
way, these two lines will be seriously over¬
loaded.

To relieve the pressure that will build
up on University and Yonge over the
years, and to allow the operation of direct
trains from Bloor and Danforth to Down¬
town via University, it is proposed that an
alternative alignment for the southern end
of the Spadina subway be worked out
leading directly Downtown. Bathurst
Street is suggested as the best location.
Starting from the Nordheimer Ravine
north of St. Clair Ave. the subway could
go straight down Bathurst to Queen, where
it could join the Queen Street line running
east through Downtown. In addition to
providing a better subway system this

would serve an important, densely built-
up area and several locations that, with
subway service, could be excellent for
concentrated development.

Another rapid transit line that is pro¬
posed is an extension of the system from
the transportation terminal along the re¬
constructed right-of-way of the railways
to the C.N.E., and into the Bathurst sub¬
way line at Queen Street. People arriving
at the transportation terminal by train or
otherwise could use this direct connec¬
tion, as could passengers on the whole
subway system. The line would also serve
any future developments over the tracks
from Downtown to Bathurst Street, as
well as the recreation complex in the
C.N.E.-Fort York area. It would provide
an alternative route into Downtown and
the transportation terminal from the Bath¬
urst line and a branch line could be built
to take the summer throngs to the Islands.
This extension of the subway system
would be ideal for all the activities that
could be concentrated here, and could be
instrumental in stimulating the use of the
entire area.

Throughout the City good surface
transit must be maintained, feeding people
to the subway system and providing a
local service. A sound, well-developed
total transit system is essential, both to
give people easy access to all important
parts of the City, minimizing traffic con¬
gestion, and to form the basis of plans to
accommodate future growth.

Roads

The highway system must first and fore¬
most serve commercial and industrial
traffic. It also must handle the many trips
that people make which are scattered
widespread and, because they are not con¬
centrated, cannot be adequately handled
by transit. It should provide free move¬
ment in many directions and should be
focused on Downtown Toronto. But it
should compete with the transit system as
little as possible.

The needs of trucking within the City
must be recognized and suitable routes
designated, with whatever limitations,
such as the hours of use, as may be neces¬
sary in each case to reduce to a minimum
the interference with the areas transversed.

Expressways will meet the need for
major regional movement, and main roads
provide circulation within the City. Where
expressways penetrate the City they
should be carefully located and laid out to
do as little damage as possible and to pro¬
duce the maximum advantages, so that
the future development of the City may
be enhanced. They should be fully land¬
scaped and handsomely designed so that
these huge undertakings may be worthy
of their creators. Within Toronto, the

Gardiner Expressway is being completed
to the east. From the southern end of the
Spadina Expressway, Spadina Avenue
should be rebuilt as necessary to handle
the traffic bound for the City centre,
carrying it as close as possible to its desti¬
nation before discharging it into the local
streets. The proposed extension of High¬
way 400 would be best located close to the
railway tracks which run north-west from
Downtown. This would avoid disruption
of a large residential area, and confine
disturbance caused by the expressway and
the railway to one band. It would also
help the industries along the railway,
which are at present suffering from lack
of highway access. The desirability of
building the Crosstown Expressway from
Highway 400 to the Don Valley in the
vicinity of the C.P.R. tracks is question¬
able. It would help relieve some main
roads in this area and provide some choice
of direction for motorists on the express¬
ways, but it would also be a major dis¬
turbance, and no more traffic should be
brought into this area than is absolutely
necessary. The Metropolitan Draft Offi¬
cial Plan proposes that the Crosstown be
reviewed in five years to see if it should
be built. Unless it can be shown con¬
clusively that the benefits derived would
outweigh the damage it would cause, and
that the funds would not be better spent
on expanding rapid transit facilities, it
should not be proceeded with.

Surface arteries are very difficult to en¬
large because they are so continuously
built up, and it is questionable whether it
is sound to do this simply to move traffic.
There are cases, such as on Jarvis Street
and the central stretch of Dundas Street,
where the road should be reconstructed
to provide a handsome approach to Down¬
town and a more efficient perimeter artery,
carrying traffic around the busy central
area, but such cases are exceptional and
can best be developed on the basis of local
studies. It is not proposed that there be
an indiscriminate programme of creating
new surface arteries, or widening existing
streets, in an attempt to provide a more
extensive main road system throughout
the City. The existing road pattern will,
for the most part, remain unchanged.
Where widenings are undertaken they
should be carried out in such a way as to
enhance the quality and character of the
street and the area and thus achieve the
greatest benefit to the community.

In some cases the capacity of arteries
can be improved when streetcars are re¬
moved. There is an urgent need for a long¬
term programme to phase out streetcars
from main traffic arteries. This must be
co-ordinated with the subway construc¬
tion programme and the Toronto Transit
Commission long-term plans. It is partic¬
ularly important to resolve this situation
as quickly as possible in the Downtown
area.

Changes in the City’s arterial street
system will be needed from time to time
to speed the flow of traffic; for example,
certain of the north-south arteries in the
eastern and western sectors of the City
are now interrupted, and steps should be
taken to ensure that they are continuous
from one logical termination point to
another. Where possible, changes should
also be made to local residential streets to
discourage through traffic from using
them, thus making them quieter and
pleasanter to live on. The ideal system,
of local service streets feeding into wider
“collector” roads which in turn carry the
traffic to the main arteries of the City,
could only be fully achieved through com¬
prehensive redevelopment, but modifica¬
tions along these lines can sometimes be
made to the existing street pattern. Specific
proposals for such improvements will be
made in district appraisals and in con¬
sidering renewal studies. A thorough re¬
view of the City’s streets should be carried
out to determine if additional proposals
are necessary to make them work more
effectively and, as necessary, to develop
a staged programme.

Parking

Parking is an essential part of any trans¬
portation plan. How it is provided, and
the cost to the motorist, will make a great
difference to the operation of the City.

Wherever possible, motorists should be
encouraged to transfer to commuter train
or subway to travel into the City. Major
lots or garages should be provided where
expressways are close to these lines. They
must be designed so that it is easy and
pleasant to make the transfer, and the
cost should be attractive. Highway capac¬
ity should certainly not be increased be¬
yond these points: it might even be re¬
duced in some cases.

Commuter parking lots must also be
provided at subway stations. Not only
would these encourage motorists to park
and ride Downtown by subway, they
would also serve shops and other develop¬
ment in the area. In adapting the City to
change, parking must be provided to sup¬
port those well-placed commercial areas
which are designated as District Centres
in this Plan.

Downtown should have enough park¬
ing within it to accommodate those who
have to drive there for business, shopping
or entertainment. It should be designed
and priced as short-term parking with a
high turnover. Large garages should be
built on the fringes, south of the railway
tracks, west of Simcoe St. and east of Jar¬
vis, for commuters who are just using
their cars as transportation to work. A
shuttle bus service into Downtown would

Expressways will meet the needs which cannot be provided for by transit.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

help make these garages work effectively.

All new development within the City
must include provision for parking space
at a standard which is adequate to meet
the needs of the users. In the Downtown
area special circumstances prevail and
parking is provided in accordance with
the zoning by-laws.

Parking lots and garages can have a
major impact on the appearance of the
City. Wherever possible surface parking
should be discouraged. Where parking
lots are provided they must be made less
offensive to the eye by screening, lower¬
ing of the site, landscaping, interior tree
planting and other similar measures. The
use of snow-load roofs on large garages
is most desirable, particularly in areas of
tall buildings where roof-top parking is
most easily seen.

Long Distance Transport

Air travel is very important to Toronto
today and will be more so in the future.
It will be important to ensure that air¬
ports are adequate to the demand and
that there is excellent access to them from
the City centre. There should be a first-
class ground terminal Downtown in the
proposed transportation terminal. From
there limousines and buses could go out to
the airports by the Gardiner Expressway.
If necessary, a helicopter or rail service
could be established.

The present Toronto International Air¬
port is capable of substantial expansion
to accommodate increased traffic. But
there should be a study to determine
whether another major airport will be
needed by the turn of the century. If so,
steps should be taken now to reserve the
land in a suitable location.

The Island Airport can also be of great
value, particularly for business aircraft
and short trips. Its convenience to Down¬
town will be fully appreciated when there
is good ground transport. New buildings
and equipment will permit full use of this
great asset. It should be noted that it may
also be necessary to regulate the height
of buildings in the adjoining harbour
lands to avoid hazards to aircraft which
could seriously limit the use of the airport.

The long-distance bus station could best
be incorporated into the proposed trans¬
portation terminal. It would be easy to
reach from all parts of the City and the
buses could get directly on to the Gard¬
iner Expressway for trips in all directions.
If needed, additional pick-up points could
be provided where expressways crossed
subways.

Union Station is excellently placed for
long-distance passenger train service. In
building a new terminal these passengers
should have easy entry into the City and
access to the hotels in the Downtown area.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION
IN THE OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The City to adopt the objective that transportation and development be
thoroughly integrated within both the City and the region so that people can
reach the important centres from all locations.

2. Within the region, development to be channelled to selected locations on a
high speed, long distance mass transportation system providing fast, con¬
venient service to the centre of Toronto.

3. Within the City, development to be channelled to selected locations on the
subway system providing access to important parts of the City and particularly
to Downtown.

4. Regional commuter trains and expressways and local subways and surface
facilities to be focused on Downtown Toronto.

5. A transportation terminal to be established immediately to the south of the
Downtown area as a focal point for City, regional and long distance trans¬
portation serving the central area.

6. Emphasis to be placed on the extension of the subway system to provide
attractive and convenient service to the central area of the City from all parts.
Routes to be proposed to include Queen Street from Roncesvalles to Green¬
wood yards; Bathurst Street from the Spadina Expressway route in the Nord-
heimer Ravine north of St. Clair to Queen Street; and an extension of the
system from the transportation terminal to the Canadian National Exhibition,
to join the Bathurst line at Queen Street and have a branch line to Hanlan’s
Point on the Islands.

7. Surface public transportation to be maintained to provide local service in
the City and to feed passengers to the subway system.

8. Expressways within the City to be located to provide both adequate service
for commercial and industrial traffic, and limited capacity for those people for
whom the use of their automobiles is essential.

9. Expressways built within the City to be fully landscaped, handsomely de¬
signed and carefully located to do as little damage as possible.

10. Spadina Avenue to be rebuilt with adequate capacity to handle traffic
from the Spadina Expressway, and the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway.

11. Highway 400 to be extended from the vicinity of Davenport Road, south¬
east along an alignment parallel to and east of the Canadian National Railway
line, to join the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway in the vicinity of Bathurst
Street.

12. The Crosstown Expressway not to be constructed unless there is conclu¬
sive evidence that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and that money is

A transportation terminal will be established immediately to the south of the Downtown
area.

better spent on this project than on an expansion of the rapid transit system.

13. The present system of arterial roads to remain substantially unchanged,
except where, in order to speed the flow of traffic, there is a demonstrated need
to widen a section of a roadway or to create a connection between arterial
roadways now interrupted.

14. Residential areas to be protected from through traffic by alterations to
local streets and collector roads.

15. Suitable arterial roads to be designated as trucking routes with necessary
limitations, such as the hours of use, to ensure that there is minimum inter¬
ference in the areas traversed.

16. Parking facilities to be provided at selected locations to allow convenient
transfer from one means of movement to another and to encourage the use of
subways for travel in the City.

17. All reasonable means to be used to accomodate parking facilities in
residential, commercial and industrial areas in which there are deficiencies.

18. The Downtown area to be served on the perimeter by large parking garages
for daily and long-term parkers and in the interior by parking accommodation
for persons remaining Downtown for substantially less than a full day.

19. Policies in respect to parking to be implemented chiefly through the activi¬
ties of a public parking authority and supplemented by public works and regu¬
lation as necessary.

20. All new development within the City will be required to include provision
for parking space at a standard which is adequate to the needs of the users.
Provision within the Downtown area to continue to be regulated in accordance
with the special circumstances which prevail.

21. Standards for existing parking lots and for the provision of parking in
conjunction with new development to include regulation of the appearance of
the parking area. Surface parking to be discouraged: where allowed, the appear¬
ance of surface parking to be improved by screening, lowering of the site,
landscaping, interior tree planting, the erection of snowload roofs in the case
of roof top parking, and other similar measures.

22. Council to seek assurance that requirements of the City for adequate air
service are being provided by the Department of Transport.

23. The Island Airport to continue to serve the central area of the City.
Adequate transportation to be provided and regulations adopted to control
building heights in the adjacent area as required.

24. Adequate terminal facilities, including suitable connections with other
means of transportation, to be provided within the harbour area with a mini¬
mum of interference with other facilities.

Long-distance freight comes by rail,
road, ship and air. The new suburban
railway yards provide excellent service
but care should be taken that the neces¬
sary trackage is also maintained to serve
the harbour and industry in other loca¬
tions. The expressways will meet the needs
of industrial road freight, especially if the
alignment of the Highway 400 extension
is altered as proposed. A truck terminal
in the harbour area would be of great
value to service the harbour, the proposed
industrial estate and inner areas in the
City.

The plans for extension of the Toronto
Harbour will ensure that it keeps pace
with the demands placed on it. Road and
rail access should be fully developed to
ensure that it can serve all Toronto and
its region as efficiently as possible.

The shipment of packaged goods by
air express and express freight is develop¬

ing very rapidly. A depot to serve the
central area of the City should be pro¬
vided on the southern fringe of the Down¬
town area.

In all regards it is imperative that To¬
ronto have efficient long-distance trans¬
portation services, for both passengers
and express. It is so much a national and
international centre that this is vital to
its prosperity, and will become more so.

Decisions on all forms of transporta¬
tion will be of fundamental importance to
Toronto. Important choices have to be
made and, although responsibility in
many cases rests with others, it will be
essential for the City to ensure that the
right choice is made. To be sound there
must be integrated planning of transpor¬
tation with all other aspects of develop¬
ment. This can produce an efficient, well
organized city and region with the pros¬
pects of a fine future.

Surface public transportation will feed
passengers to the subway system.

Expressways should be carefully located
to do as little damage as possible.

The appearance of surface parking can
be improved by landscaping.

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

The Quality of the City

Toronto is a city of growth and change.
The question is not whether these will take
place, but how. If we guide it well, seiz¬
ing every opportunity to achieve the best
possible quality, Toronto will become a
finer and greater city. If we allow it to
proceed indiscriminately, and particularly
if we grab for development at any cost,
we will sacrifice our heritage and be¬
queath failure and trouble to succeeding
generations.

It is fundamentally important to ensure
that the City is humane. It must be not
only efficient but also enjoyable to live,
work and travel in. People must have
pleasant surroundings and a wide variety
of residential areas to choose from. They
must not be packed too tightly in regi¬
mented housing, and they must have the
parks, schools and other facilities they
need. Both commercial and industrial areas
should be made more handsome and at¬
tractive, with fine buildings and landscap¬
ing. A trip through the City, by road or
rail, on the surface or underground, should
be a pleasant experience, not a tedious
necessity. Main roads should be lined with
impressive trees, the areas traversed should
be well-maintained and the traveller
should be aware of their variety as he
goes from one to another. The subway,
with its thousands of daily passengers,
should be a pleasure to ride.

A great city offers its citizens a wide
variety of activities beyond the routine
affairs of daily life. Many forms of rec¬
reation and entertainment, from sports to
night-clubs to the arts, from the casual to
the great events, will be needed in the
City of Toronto. The many ethnic groups
among its people can each make its con¬
tributions to achieving a more stimulating
and civilized city.

Beauty should be sought in all that is
done. Toronto is not blessed with an ex¬
citing site boasting handsome topographic
features. Those it has must be respected
and enhanced. The lakeshore should be

landscaped from city limit to city limit.
It should have fine beaches, parks, boat¬
ing, playgrounds and restaurants. It should
offer handsome vistas, interesting skylines
and a pleasant drive. The ravines should
be developed as a series of fine natural
parklands, penetrating the City and pro¬
viding contrast to its built-up areas. The
escarpment provides a height of land that
can be impressive to look at and exciting
to look out from.

Elsewhere the City is a series of level
plains and everything depends on what
we do to change what has been bequeathed
to us. One great asset we have inherited
from our forefathers is the magnificent
growth of trees that characterizes most
parts of the City, particularly residential
areas. Their size is all-important: not only
do they give Toronto the quality of “a
city in a forest”, they also give scale and
beauty to its streets, shading the houses
and lending them privacy and shelter.
Small trees have none of these qualities.
The City must do everything possible
to protect and enhance this priceless
heritage.

Many good residential areas of distinc¬
tive character have also been created over
the years. This distinction should be main¬
tained so that the City will offer its citi¬
zens a choice among varied areas and the
heightened interest that comes from
diversity.

While the residential areas will be of
prime importance to City residents, it is
the main commercial areas and the major
features of the City that will establish its
image in the eyes of outsiders. With the
growth of the region it will be most im¬
portant that people throughout the area
have a clear picture of the City, a clear
understanding of what it has to offer,
where everything is and how to reach it.
It will be important to emphasize the
major centres, such as the department
store shopping centre, the financial core,
the arts centres, the entertainment dis¬

tricts, and also outstanding features like
University Avenue, Queen’s Park, the
City Hall and Square, the waterfront and
ravines. Everything possible must be done
to make them stand out clearly and hand¬
somely through careful design, the crea¬
tion of impressive buildings, plazas, foun¬
tains, monuments and sculpture. They
should be clearly defined and distinctive
in character so that everyone has a vivid
recollection of them and how they fit into
the City. To help achieve this, studies
should be made of the most important
centres to develop design objectives to
which the City and private developers
could contribute. In key areas, particu¬
larly Downtown and Yorkville, each pro¬
posed development should be reviewed to
ensure that it fits into the greater design
of the entire area.

Minor commercial districts will be less
important in establishing the image of the
City to those outside it, but they will be
very important in making it satisfactory
to its residents. Many changes will take
place and everything possible should be
done to give these districts a focus and
clear-cut boundaries. The arrangement of
buildings, plazas and landscaping could
help achieve this. The result would be that
people identified their shopping and busi¬
ness centres more clearly and that there
need be no unsightly fringe areas around
them. The appearance of all areas should
be improved by a careful control of adver¬
tising signs, particularly where these are
in the vicinity of parks and open space,
close to ravines or adjoining residential
areas. In many areas signs should be
severely restricted. The design of lights,
boxes, hydrants and other street furniture
also requires careful consideration to en¬
sure the fine appearance of the City’s
streets.

An important measure to give charac¬
ter and interest to the City is the preser¬
vation of buildings of historic and
architectural distinction. These buildings

provide a continuity with the past, an
evidence that the City does have a unique
history, a reminder that it is, after all, a
creation of its people from generation to
generation. They should be preserved
wherever possible to add their special di¬
mension to the rich panoply of the city.

Toronto is not well blessed with strik¬
ing buildings surviving from its early
days. The areas of first settlement have
been rebuilt in the City’s vigorous expan¬
sion so that only isolated examples re¬
main. It is all the more important that
everything possible be done to preserve
the best. They will become an increasingly
valuable heritage in the decades ahead.

Generally these buildings fall into two
categories: those of historical interest and
those of architectural merit. The historic
buildings are easy to identify as they are
associated with important events, people
or institutions, or have a public history
stretching into the past. Some may simply
be very old, survivors of a period from
which little else is left. About 80 buildings

Everything possible must be done to preserve the best of our early buildings and areas.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

The ravine systems give form and character to Toronto, and a contrast to the built up areas. They can be made a visually more apparent
part of the City.

The proposals in (his reporl are not final unlil approved by City Council.

It is the main commercial areas of the
City that establish its image in the eyes of
outsiders.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSION
IN THE OFFICIAL PLAN

1. The objective of the City to be that Toronto is not only efficient but also
enjoyable to live, work and travel in.

2. Studies to be made of the important centres of the City to develop design
objectives against which individual proposals for development would be con¬
sidered in order to ensure that an overall design concept is achieved.

3. The distinctive character of the different parts of the City and the promin¬
ence, and attractiveness of its main focal points to be maintained and enhanced.

4. The City’s heritage of forest trees to be protected and large trees to be
used in planting programmes wherever possible.

5. District centres to be designed and landscaped to provide a focus for the
district. The boundaries of the centres to be clear cut. Designs to be imple¬
mented through District Plans and improvement programmes.

6. In all that is done in the way of public works, or in private development
which requires City approval, good design is to be demanded as a way in
which to achieve quality in the City.

7. Advertising signs to be controlled, particularly where they are widely
visible, and severely restricted in designated areas. Careful attention to be
given to the design of lights, boxes, hydrants and other street furniture.

8. Buildings of historical and architectural distinction to be designated by
Council and, where appropriate, agreements entered into with the owners for
their permanent preservation and maintenance. Studies to be made of all
possible means of preserving such buildings and improving their setting, in¬
cluding the participation of all levels of government.

1 - - •*&$**"- ■ „ *■ jH W

... 0

■wis* ~ ■- • ' • J

Full-grown trees give scale and beauty to the City’s residential areas. These trees will be
protected.

have been so identified in the City of
Toronto.*

Buildings of architectural merit are
selected because of their outstandingly
fine design, or because they are good ex¬
amples of a particular style or period, or
the notable work of a distinguished archi¬
tect. Frequently they, as well as the his¬
toric buildings, have the added merits of
providing a richness and diversity by the
contrast they present to their modern sur¬
roundings, and of being of a pleasant,
human size and scale.

Preservation does not mean only the
creation of museums, but rather the at-

*"Urban Design in Urban Renewal”, Metro Urban
Renewal Study, 1966

tempt to find new uses so that the build¬
ings can remain part of the life of the
city. At the same time they do need repair
and maintenance to keep them in good
condition. These are authentic old build¬
ings, not reproductions or reconstructions.

Unfortunately there are few means now
available to the City to preserve the re¬
maining buildings of this kind. Legisla¬
tion will have to be obtained to make it
possible to officially designate the build¬
ings it is intended to preserve, and money
will have to be found to purchase those
that must be bought and to maintain those
that need it. Steps will also be needed in a
number of instances to improve the set¬
ting of the building and set it off as a
valuable feature. Co-operation with

owners and interested groups should be
sought as they can frequently take a more
specific interest in a particular building
than the City could. Many avenues should
be explored to ensure that everything pos¬
sible is done to save what little is left of
Toronto’s heritage and to turn it into
an important asset that will add richness
and diversity to the fabric of the City.

Everywhere people’s expectations are
rising. The City must face the challenge
of the future, striving to achieve the qual¬
ity that will be demanded of it. Whether
it succeeds in being civilized, stimulating
and handsome, a city of which its people
can be proud, will have a great deal to
do with its future wellbeing. It must suc¬
ceed if it is to prosper.

Implementation of the Plan

Putting the Plan into Effect

A plan is a statement of City Coun¬
cil’s plans, objectives, policies and pro¬
grammes for the City’s future develop¬
ment. It must convey a clear concept to
the citizen, the businessman and the gov¬
ernment. It must be a practical guide to
City Council, adaptable to changing
circumstances.

The best of plans is useless unless
adopted, firmly adhered to, and carried
out. In previous chapters a plan for To¬
ronto has been described and a series of
recommendations made. This chapter
touches on its implementation. The meas¬
ures called for fall under the following
headings:

OFFICIAL PLAN:

The plan adopted by City Council.
regulation:

The means of guiding private and
public development.
public works:

Necessary capital expenditures.

URBAN RENEWAL &

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES:

Public projects to renew areas in
need of action.
capital financing:

Costs and resources.

OTHER MEASURES:

Public persuasion and co-operation
to attain objectives.

The Official Plan

An Official Plan has two broad func¬
tions: to convey a concept of the physical
form of the future City, and to spell out
the pertinent objectives, policies and pro¬
grammes of City Council by which this
concept may be achieved. The proposals
set out in this report will form the basis
of a major revision to the City’s Official
Plan. After discussion and review they
will become the first part of the Plan, to
be followed by a second part which will
spell out City Council’s corresponding

policies and programmes precisely. After
adoption by Council and approval by the
Minister of Municipal Affairs this second
part will be legally binding on City Coun¬
cil, charting its course for the future.

While the Official Plan does not di¬
rectly govern others than City Council, it
will have widespread effects because it is
the basis for Council’s regulation of pri¬
vate development. In addition, many in¬
dividuals, businessmen, government de¬
partments and agencies, will look to it for
guidance in making their own plans and
investments. Taken together with the
City’s actions, this can add up to power¬
ful means to carry out the Plan.

The second part of the Official Plan
will contain the following main elements:

1. The General City Plan map, setting out
the broad structure proposed for the en¬
tire City.

2. Objectives, policies and programmes
to be followed in carrying out the Plan,
together with conditions and standards
for new development.

3. District Plans, and other plans for de¬
fined areas and purposes, such as improve¬
ment projects, will be incorporated from
time to time as they are approved.

It will be set out in a number of sec¬
tions, corresponding generally to the
chapters in this report. These will cover:

( 1 ) THE CITY IN THE REGION AND THE
STRUCTURE OF THE CITY

These sections will outline the gen¬
eral form and direction which de¬
velopment should follow and the
means by which they may be secured.

(2) RESIDENTIAL AREAS

The allocation of low and high den¬
sity areas will be set out, together
with bonus provisions, stability of
residential areas, staging of develop¬
ment, programme of residential im¬
provement, and public housing.

(3) COMMERCE

Policies will cover the focusing of

commercial development at selected
points on the transportation system,
the future of designated centres,
strip commercial, specialty shopping
areas, commercial improvement
projects, parking and the appearance
of commercial areas.

(4) INDUSTRY

The consolidation of industrial areas
and the removal of small pockets of
residences, will be detailed. Sections
will deal with an industrial improve¬
ment programme, the encourage¬
ment of industrial estates and multi¬
storey factories, and the improve¬
ment and regulation of industrial
land.

(5) PARKS AND THE WATERFRONT

In this section will be consolidated
recommendations made in a num¬
ber of places in the report as well as
in the Major Parks and the Water¬
front chapter. The protection and
enhancement of the natural features
of the City will be covered, in addi¬
tion to parks standards, recreation
programmes, and proposals for the
waterfront.

(6) EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND THE ARTS

New colleges and universities, the ex¬
pansion and encouragement of those
facilities designed to meet the needs
of Toronto for knowledge, the arts
and other creative activities of the
City will be included in this portion
of the Plan.

(7) TRANSPORTATION

Guides to future action on the part
of the City will be set out and poli¬
cies for those cases where the de¬
cisions of others, especially Metro¬
politan Toronto and the Province,
will affect the City.

(8) THE QUALITY OF THE CITY

Outstanding design and emphasis on
major features will be among the
items covered. Design objectives and

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

high standards in public works and
other projects in which Council has
a voice will be emphasized. Means
of preserving and maintaining build¬
ings of historical and architectural
distinction will be established.

Regulation

The Official Plan sets out the City’s
broad, long-term plan of development. It
does not govern particular sites directly
but expresses City Council’s intentions.
The Zoning By-law is the legal instrument
City Council uses to regulate the use and
development of land. It provides specific
guidance to owners of individual sites.

The Zoning by-law is of great import¬
ance in achieving the Plan. It directs de¬
velopment to the various areas shown in
the Plan and ensures that it is up to the
required standards. Through bonus in¬
centives it can encourage developers to
try to achieve Council's objectives of
comprehensive high-quality development.
It offers property owners assurance of
what they can do with their property and
what may happen on their neighbours'.

The adoption of the Official Plan will
result in a revision of the present zoning
by-law only where review or revision is
called for by the Plan, when a section of
the Plan is to be implemented, or when
District Plans, improvement projects or
other specific schemes are adopted as part
of the Plan.

There are other by-laws which play
their part, in ensuring that the Plan is
followed and its objectives achieved. The
principal by-laws concerned are those
which deal with prescribed standards of
occupancy and maintenance, and with
building standards. Special by-laws deal
with particular problems, such as the con¬
trol of termites. The Building By-law sets
standards of construction: it should be
reviewed frequently to ensure that it
recognizes new methods and materials.
Together with the Standard of Housing
By-law it sets levels of structural sound¬
ness that can do much to maintain good
housing standards if fully adhered to.

Public Works

The whole range of public works and
capital expenditures by the City is funda¬
mental to the achievement of the Plan.
Water supply and sewer service, roads,
parks, schools, recreation centres, fire
halls, etc., are essential if the City is to
operate and its people are to have a
chance to lead a satisfactory life.

The Plan outlines the most important
needs and provides a basis for meeting
them effectively and economically, rather
than in the expensive hit-or-miss manner
that would otherwise prevail. It does not

CITY FINANCE 1954 TO 1 964

2 0

1.0

0.5

1954 1956 1958 I960 1962 1964

Source Metropolitan Aeeeeement Commieeioner

City Taxable Assessment

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

City Revenue

Sourct : Annuol report* of th« City Commi«»ion«r of Finonco

The removal of any property from lia¬
bility for taxation increases the rate of
taxation on the remaining properties. The
increasing list of properties being used for
tax.-exempt purposes such as highways,
subways and education, indicate the sub¬
stantial contribution the taxpayers make
towards these undertakings.

The increasing amount of tax liability
being imposed upon property makes a
clear case for relieving it of the cost of
non-property services.

City Expenditures

Debenture Debt

Source Annual reports of the City Commissioner of Finonce

Source : Annual reports of the City Commissioner of Finance

Expenditures for school purposes, in¬
cluding the Metro school levy and the
Metro levy on the City for purposes other
than schools, exceeds the expenditure for
City purposes. This process will continue
as Metro accepts responsibility for a wider
range of area-wide services.

Toronto on its own account, and indirectly
through its membership in the Metropoli¬
tan Federation of Municipalities, has
ahead of it a period of major capital ex¬
penditures required to meet the needs of
extended municipal services and renewal
of substantial areas of the City. A system
of long-term capital budgeting must be
adopted to ensure the best use of the
available funds.

create them but sets them out so that City
Council can see the range of needs and
decide what has to be done.

It is clear that a great many capital
works are required, some to make up for
past deficiencies, others to meet future
needs. Toronto is changing, partly due to
its growing role as an international cen¬
tre, partly due to the changing composi¬
tion of its population. The needs of its
own people must be met, and the regional
and national services provided. The neces¬
sary public works will be very costly, even

allowing for the present levels of financial
assistance available to the City. It seems
imperative that new sources of revenue
and greater financial assistance be avail¬
able if the needs are to be met.

Comprehensive lists of all capital works
have not been made: these may be de¬
veloped but will in any event have to
make provision for the addition of new
items as these are determined. However,
the scale of need can be illustrated by a
few examples. The estimated cost of the
sewer reconstruction and expansion pro-

Public works are fundamental to the achievement of the plan.

The official plan is a practical guide to City Council.

gramme adopted by City Council, as set
out by the Commissioner of Public
Works, is $155 million. The necessary ad¬
ditional schools, both elementary and
secondary, will cost about $115 million.
Adding 300 acres of parkland, the
amount needed to bring only the local
and district parks up to minimum stand¬
ards, would be some $85 million. These
are all at current prices: undoubtedly
costs will increase over the years.

Complete programmes should be de¬
veloped for all capital works for incor¬
poration into comprehensive plans and
capital budgets. These will form an im¬
portant part of the total financial picture.

Urban Renewal

and Improvement Programme

The Official Plan calls for public re¬
newal and improvement of substantial
areas of the City. There is the present
programme of residential improvement.
This will ultimately have to be extended
into other areas. In addition it is proposed
that commercial and industrial renewal
projects be developed to implement vari¬
ous provisions of the Plan. Additional
funds will be required for these.

Financial aid from the Federal and
Provincial Governments and Metropoli¬
tan Toronto is very valuable in executing
renewal projects and building public
housing and will be fully used by the
City. It includes assistance in paying for
the preparation and carrying out of pro¬
jects. Metropolitan Toronto has agreed to
assume the municipal share of subsidized
public housing projects as long as the
projects fit in with Metropolitan housing
policies. Where appropriate in these pro¬
jects, private development may be encour¬
aged to participate.

However, there is still a heavy financial
load on the City, one that will increase
over the years ahead. If the City is to keep
pace with the needs it faces it must be able
to deal with a wider range of renewal
problems on a more flexible basis. Once
adequate plans are developed, the City
should have assistance to undertake any
measures necessary to improve the area
of the plan. This should include all public
works and public buildings as well as the
clearance of property, where necessary,
and the reorganization of streets. City
Council would then be able to carry out a
continuous programme of renewal meas¬
ures as needed to improve all parts of the
City according to overall plans and priori¬
ties. This could become the normal way
of meeting the many needs that must be
faced.

The most urgent need is for an orderly
programme of redevelopment so that a
long term projection can be made of de-

The proposals in this report are not final until approved by City Council.

benturing needs for redevelopment pur¬
poses throughout the period of the plan.
In this way claims can be established well
ahead of time, instead of on a year-to-year
basis, and a more comprehensive pro¬
gramme undertaken.

Capital Financing

While the Official Plan does not create
any needs it does present a broad picture
of what they are and emphasizes the im¬
portance of tackling them in an orderly,
comprehensive manner to achieve the
maximum economy and avoid costly
short-sighted expedients.

It is clear that the City will have to
make heavy expenditures if it is to keep
pace with its needs, and that its present
sources of revenue are inadequate to the
task. Beyond paying for those things it
does itself, it also has to contribute its
share of all Metropolitan expenditures.

Thus any relief the City gets by transfer¬
ring costs to Metropolitan Toronto is only
a partial gain, and any acceleration of
Metro works, such as a Queen St. subway,
is partly paid for by the City. This would
apply if Metropolitan Toronto increased
its participation in urban renewal after
the Metropolitan Urban Renewal Study
is complete.

The City’s capital costs are attributable
to the whole range of public works, and
the various projects to be undertaken,
particularly the Urban Renewal and Im¬
provement Programmes. Even if many of
these costs can be absorbed into renewal
projects, where the City gets the best pos¬
sible financial assistance, the burden still
clearly exceeds the financial resources
City Council has available to it by a large
margin. There does not seem to be any
prospect that this gap can be bridged by
enlarging conventional sources, such as

the property tax base. Firm adherence to
the Official Plan will help by providing
security for the existing tax base and clear
direction for new investment, but the gap
will remain. It should also be noted that
since the City is an important centre serv¬
ing a much wider area of Ontario and
Canada it will inevitably, and properly
accommodate more and more institu¬
tions. While these are important and valu¬
able to the community they have tradi¬
tionally been tax-exempt or have made
reduced payments. The situation of all
tax exempt institutions should be re¬
viewed and payments sought in lieu of
taxes from senior levels of government,
or other sources.

Fundamentally the people of the City
have to pay for municipal costs out of
the wealth they produce. The situation can
be made as advantageous as possible by
proceeding according to a sound plan and
capital budget, so as to minimize the cost
of the necessary municipal services and at
the same time make the City as efficient
as possible for all its residents and busi¬
nesses, thereby maximizing their chances
to create wealth. This is essential in any
event: the City must be efficient to pros¬
per, and public money should be spent
where the best value can be obtained for
every dollar.

Budgeting the City’s capital expendi¬
tures for an advance period of five or ten
years gives an opportunity to review them
carefully. Not only the individual items
put forward by the various departments
and agencies, but the way they fit together
and help to implement the overall plan

More and more tourists can be expected to
visit Toronto and its major attractions.

Older buildings add interest to the City.

can be examined. Annual adjustments
would take care of any unforseen needs.
A sound capital budgeting process is es¬
sential if there is to be assurance that the
City’s capital funds are being spent con¬
structively and not just in response to
expedient demand.

But even with the best plans and ac¬
tions by City Council it is evident that the
needs of an important city in the modern
world go beyond the traditional financing

provided. New resources are urgently
required.

Other Measures

Over and above the specific public works,
the renewal and improvement pro¬
grammes, and the regulation of private
development, there are various other items
City Council may undertake. These range
from such prosaic but essential measures
as the elimination of non-conforming

uses, to special undertakings, illustrated
by the St. Lawrence Centre. The most
important ones add greatly to the interest
and variety of Toronto.

Opportunities arise for City Council to
collaborate with other governments or
private groups, unique examples being the
St. Lawrence Centre and the proposed
transportation terminal. Here the initia¬
tive of Council is most important, fre¬
quently determining the success or fail-

Bonus incentives can encourage developers to achieve Council's objectives of comprehensive high quality development.

The proposals in this report are not tinal until approved by City Council

ure of the undertaking. Such cases are
likely to become more frequent in the
future and should be vigorously pursued.

In many cases projects are carried out
within the City by other governments and
agencies, over whom Council has no con¬
trol. Expressways, subways, railways,
public buildings, can all have drastic ef¬
fects on the City yet there is no formal
procedure to ensure that Council may ex¬
press its views and that these will be re¬
spected. In this situation City Council
can strengthen its position greatly by
adopting an Official Plan that spells out
what it wants to see in the City and call¬
ing on other governments also to observe
it. This should provide the basis for fruit¬
ful collaboration.

But beyond all the measures in which
City Council is directly involved there is
the general need to have a common goal
for the efforts of all its people, both pri¬
vate citizens and business corporations.
The Plan, if widely distributed and
strongly endorsed by Council, can pro¬
vide such a goal. Working together, a

great deal can be achieved which would
be impossible without a common objec¬
tive. Everyone gains when their actions
support one another rather than conflict.

Summary

The best of plans is useless unless imple¬
mented. Indeed, if adopted and then not
adhered to it may just be misleading.
Adaptation is necessary as needs change,
and there should be a periodic review
every five to ten years, but the plan as
adopted should be a vital guide to the
City’s growth.

The proposed Official Plan presents a
concept of the City of 1981, and the poli¬
cies and programmes of City Council. The
present report deals with the first section
or general City-wide plan: it will be am¬
plified by District Plans and detailed plans
of specific projects. To implement it City
Council would make use of regulations to
guide private development and would
carry out the public works, parks, schools,
recreation centres and other capital in¬
vestments needed. It would undertake the

necessary urban renewal and improve¬
ment projects in partnership with other
governments. City Council would work
together with business, government, the
press and other media, agencies and in¬
dividuals toward achieving all the Plan’s
objectives.

The needs of cities today are being
more and more widely recognized. Ours
is an increasingly urban society. Cities,
where people live in ever greater num¬
bers, can be mean, inadequate and frus¬
trating. A great deal must be done to turn
most cities into places worthy of their
citizens and up to their legitimate expec¬
tations. The effort is also essential if the
cities are to work effectively in the rapidly
changing conditions of the future.

Toronto is better off than most cities.
It does not have some of the chronic
problems and widespread dreadful con¬
ditions that plague others. It is growing
and changing dramatically so that with
intelligent planning and firm direction a
great deal can be achieved by guiding the
forces that are already operating.

But a tremendous amount must be
done. There are many deficiencies and
inadequacies of the past to be overcome,
many problems are trouble spots to be
corrected, better standards to be achieved.
The changing population must be pro¬
vided for and the needs of business and
industry must be met. Continuous mod¬
ernization of the City’s fabric must be
undertaken.

But perhaps the greatest demands will
stem from the very growth and change
that creates Toronto’s opportunity. The
City in particular will have to adapt dras¬
tically to take all the things that belong
at the heart of the region, the buildings,
the activities, the transportation: to fulfil
its role as an imporant international cen¬
tre it will have to acquire a great range of
educational, research and cultural facili¬
ties, many more than its short history has
been able to endow it with.

The present tax sources of City Coun¬
cil are inadequate to meet all the de¬
mands. Additional funds must be made
available if the City is to carry out its
part of the Plan. The Plan is essential as
the common goal that all can strive to
reach, the guide to help us make the most
of our tremendous opportunity and avoid
the confusion and misguided expense
that could easily occur without it. But it
can only be fully realized if the City has
the means to carry out its share of the
task. This must be achieved. The Plan
can then be fully implemented, City
Council co-operating with its citizens and
all concerned to accept the challenge and
the opportunity to make Toronto a truly
great city.

Credits

GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION

Leslie Smart and Associates Limited

PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Associates
Les Baxter
Brigdens Limited
Max Fleet

Hunting Survey Corporation
H. R. Jowett

Lockwood Survey Corporation Limited
Metropolitan Photos
Gilbert A. Milne
Robert Title

City of Toronto Fire Department
City of Toronto Parks Department
Eric Trusler
Ron Vickers

The majority of maps, illustrations and
photographs, including cover, were pre¬
pared by the members of the staff of the
City of Toronto Planning Board.

PRINTING

Westprint

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SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: -

City of Toronto Planning Board
City Hall

Toronto 1, or phone 367-7182

and thus contribute to developing
your Official Plan.

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